View allAll Photos Tagged Inviolable
The statue represents Diomedes with a statuette of the Palladium, a representation of the goddess Athena, in his hands. The Palladium kept in Troy were a divine pledge of the city inviolability; Diomedes and Odysseus penetrated the city and returned in the Greek camp with the stolen Palladium, thus propitiating the capture of the city.
After the fall of Troy, Diomedes was a mythical traveler in the lands of the West. Many cities in Italy claimed noble origins connected with the "Trojan Myth" because of the possession of the Palladium that Diomedes had brought with him to the Italian peninsula.
The Cumaean copy, found in the crypt under the Acropolis, bears a Greek inscription under the base mentioning a Gaius Claudius Pollio Frugianus, to whom, perhaps, the statue was the dedicate.
The creation of the original sculpture (around 430 BC) is generally attributed to the sculptor Kresilas.
Marble Roman statue
Height 1.77 m
I Cent. AD
From prov. Cumae
Naples, National Archaeological Museum – Inv. no. 144978.
Personal Commentary by Don Iannone
Just finishing a new masters degree in consciousness studies, this quote by Oprah Winfrey grabbed my attention. What did Oprah mean by a consciousness shift? You would need to ask her to know what she really meant, but I will take a stab at what I think she meant.
What does a shift in consciousness mean? In an overall sense, it refers to a new awareness of the world--a more holistic, and integrated worldview; a new worldview that sees the deeper connections in our lives to all people and all things, and the inviolability or sanctity of all life.
This shift has been a long time coming, and not just conceived on Election Night 2008. We have been evolving in this direction for a long, long time. The shift is much more than a new political or economic vision for America, although new visions of both could come from the shift. It is more than a shift in ideology from a Republican regime to a Democratic regime. It is more than a shift from rich to poor, White to Black, Iraq and Afghanistan to the American Middle. The shift in consciousness is about the recognition of the enormous power of our ideas, what we believe, hope for, and dream of. It is a shift to seeing how we transform ourselves each moment through our consciousness of ourselves and our world. It is about the role of our consciousness in giving shape to our evolution as human beings and integral components of the whole of life.
I believe that is what Oprah Winfrey was speaking of when she spoke of a consciousness shift. I believe this is something that has been inside Oprah Winfrey for a long time, but she was given the courage to speak to the shift by her recent work with Eckhart Tolle, the author of The Power of Now and A New Earth. Learn more here: www.eckharttolle.com/eckharttolle
Watch for the signs of this shift in consciousness within yourself and your world. It's there and it is profoundly powerful.
"Look back on Time, with kindly eyes --
He doubtless did his best --
How softly sinks that trembling sun
In Human Nature's West --"
~ Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886 ~
"All that we actually know about these laws of nature is what we ourselves bring to them—time and space, and therefore relationships of succession and number. But everything marvellous about the laws of nature, everything that quite astonishes us therein and seems to demand explanation, everything that might lead us to distrust idealism: all this is completely and solely contained within the mathematical strictness and inviolability of our representations of time and space. But we produce these representations in and from ourselves with the same necessity with which the spider spins. If we are forced to comprehend all things only under these forms, then it ceases to be amazing that in all things we actually comprehend nothing but these forms. For they must all bear within themselves the laws of number, and it is precisely number which is most astonishing in things. All that conformity to law, which impresses us so much in the movement of the stars and in chemical processes, coincides at bottom with those properties which we bring to things. Thus it is we who impress ourselves in this way."
~ Friedrich Nietzsche, 1844-1900 ~
" On Truth and Lie in an Extra-Moral Sense"
en.easternlightning.org/faith-and-life/once-saved-always-...
Bible Study Topics : Is There Any Biblical Basis for the Statement “Once Saved, Always Saved”?
By Yang Xin
After hearing Brother Zhang say this, I felt suddenly enlightened, and I said in amazement: “So you mean, in the Age of Law, as long as people kept the laws of Jehovah God, then they were saved, and in the Age of Grace, as long as people trusted in the Lord Jesus, confessed their sins and
Brother Zhang said, “Yes. Whenever God does a new stage of work, we are able to keep up with the pace of God’s work, abide by God’s requirements in the new age, practice in accordance with God’s words, and therefore be saved and no longer condemned by God. In fact, being saved by the Lord Jesus’ grace in our belief in Him means only that our sins are absolved, and that we won’t be condemned or sentenced to death by the laws; it does not mean, however, that we are following God’s way and that we have cast off all sin, much less does it mean that having been saved once then we are always saved. Although we believe in the Lord Jesus, and we have been redeemed by Him and our sins have been absolved, we are still capable of frequently committing sins and defying God, and we live in a vicious spiral of committing sins in the daytime and then confessing them in the evening, unable to free ourselves from the bonds and constraints of sin. For example, when we encounter an issue, in order to protect our appearance and status, and so that people look highly upon us and look up to us, we often wear disguises, tell lies and engage in deception, we love showing off when we do things, and we can also scheme against others and vie with them for position; when we see our brothers and sisters becoming negative and weak, and losing their faith, several times we go to help and support them but we see it have no effect, and so we ourselves lose our compassion and patience, and we start to try to avoid our brothers and sisters, and we become unable to love others as we love ourselves. Especially when trials come upon us, we complain and we can blame and judge the Lord, so much so that we begin to harbor thoughts and ideas about betraying the Lord; we are simply unable to practice the Lord’s words, and we have no true faith in the Lord and are not truly obedient to Him. There are also many brothers and sisters who follow worldly trends, who covet sinful pleasures, and who live lives of eating, drinking and cavorting, just as the unbelievers do. God said: ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, Whoever commits sin is the servant of sin. And the servant stays not in the house for ever: but the Son stays ever’ (John 8:34-35). ‘You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy’ (Leviticus 11:45). God’s words are very clear: God is holy and God’s disposition is righteous and inviolable, and if one wants to enter into the kingdom of heaven, then they must rid themselves of their sinful nature and be cleansed, and no longer sin or defy God; only people like this are qualified to inherit God’s promise. How could we, who sin in the daytime and confess our sins in the evening, and who live in inescapable sin, ever be qualified to enter into the kingdom of heaven? If we don’t solve our sins at the source, even if we could have our sins absolved a thousand times, ten thousand times, we would still belong to Satan and be opposed to God. Just think—if God allowed people like us, who are filled with our satanic, corrupt dispositions, and who are capable of defying and betraying God, into the kingdom of heaven, then how could God’s kingdom still be called the holy kingdom? This would be impossible!”
Image Source: The Church of Almighty God
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Quagmire.
Call it a little of a reminiscing the old times.
I actually looked through each and every of my writings in a folder of late.
You see, I use to write a lot, that was till I found photography.
Most of my prose channels my growing up, my inner feelings and my experiences growing up.
Sad to say, mostly depressing, reflective and dark,
But I noticed one common underlying tone in them too...they are all hopeful.
And I am glad that was one good thing consistent with my life.
I always am hopeful. It has helped me live.
So now, I feel like I have come full circle.
Present photos...matching past writings...
Yet how I feel now when compared to the past as I wrote them...
Is like Heaven & Earth.
So this one is yet another one...
Wow...and it is dated 2005
Quagmire.
Insulated in Life’s sleepy surreal visions
He stumbled crusty-eyed to check the distant world out his courtyard
Pondering who weaved this never ending pinpricked tapestry of concrete chrome and turquoise-blue which graciously
Hosted an ominous orchestra of threatening and moving gray – languid and lackadaisical
The washing machine lends its hum to the orchestral traffic
As veils of rain descend to form a kaleidoscopic fanfare amidst the lucent skylight
The dingy sparrows cocked their heads, cackled and broke the still in the sponge-damp air before flying off in dark, odd pairs
Forever lost in the societal, black foliage where the happiness of green dilutes and falls to loam
Lying obscured in the moist-ridden alleys - ostentation of Life’s penetrable inviolability and dentate asylum of questionable sanctity
He stood amidst a dripping wet of blurred faces, some synthetic, others so real
Timid children seek affirmation and insecure adults crave validation
That’s the lucid symmetry of reality, stoically refuting the sublime fact that
The other half of rancid destruction is divine creation
Beneath the graphitized concrete of life’s lonesome ghetto,
A freezing gust ensued with stealth
Emitting prancing curls through the hot steaming sewages like ghost to the oblivious unnerving
A conflagration of crinkling passion and an inferno of tempestuous infatuation
Helped witness the panting drizzle turn to hush snow in the feeble half light
He pat his foreboding temples silhouetted with rivulets of relief
His face, gritted in tolerant joy, overriding presentiment
As he strolled out his green-concrete, putrid scented room,
Into the thin, cold, divine celestial haven of bliss,
Donned with a warm halo of budding fervent love
His pocket universe of Life trawls a quagmire of loneliness congruent with the random vestiges of childhood pain
And someone uncovered that holy grail of his hidden secrets
And promised to build them a home decorated with trinkets of new hope in the wide open spaces.
Today it's the 60th anniversary of the proclamation of our German constitution , therefore it's the founding date of the Federal Republic of Germany on May 23rd, 1949.
Here's the translation into English of above displayed Article 1 of the German Constitution:
(1) Human dignity shall be inviolable. To respect and protect it shall be
the duty of all state authority.
(2) The German people therefore acknowledge inviolable and inalienable
human rights as the basis of every community, of peace and of justice
in the world.
(3) The following basic rights shall bind the legislature, the executive and
the judiciary as directly applicable law.
Also, today the Federal Assembly comes together to elect the President of Germany .
The Holy Trinity Cathedral
The Holy Trinity Cathedral is the main church of Pskov and Pskov land. It happened before Rus was baptized: Princess Olga standing on the left bank of the Velikaya river pointed at the place illumined by several rays of sunlight. Seeing the miracle, she predicted that the town would become great and that a church of the Holy Trinity would be built on the place where the rays of light met. For many centuries the Kremlin and the Trinity Cathedral became the holy symbols of Pskov and the whole of Pskov land. However, fate and history were not always kind to them.
Today’s Cathedral is the fourth at the same place. According to a legend, the first one was erected on the order of Princess Olga in the 10th century. The Trinity cathedral was rebuilt in stone in the 12th century. Subsequently, the holy relics of its creator, Prince Vsevolod-Gavriil, were placed the church.
The Cathedral, that we have today, was erected in 1682-1699. Several times there were fires in the cathedral and both the interior and exterior of the church were restored. The Cathedral had two floors, the ground floor obviously being the basement of the previous church.
Festive rites and services, baptizing, princes’ enthronement took place in the Trinity Cathedral. The Veche (People’s Assembly) gathered by the Cathedral’s walls, those gatherings often led to brawls, in which the participants could get injuries. The Russian word “uvechje” meaning “injury” is related to the word “Veche” — the name of those people’s assemblies... The cathedral was the place where most important documents were kept. Pskov warriors got blessings here before battles and this was the burial place of the defenders of the town. Two swords were kept in the Cathedral, symbolizing its people’s independence and courage. One of them was the sword of prince Dovmont. “I will never surrender!” — was written it.
The Trinity Cathedral stands on a high cape at the confluence of the Velikaya and the Pskova rivers inside the fortress walls of Pskov Kremlin.
You can see the 78 meters high snow-white Cathedral when you are far away from Pskov. It is the highest building of ancient Pskov. High in the sky glitters in the sun the central dome of the cathedral-the symbol of the Holy Trinity, that was the symbol of Pskov land. The dome’s surface is 300 square meters. 1,310 grams of gold leaf were used to gild it in the second half of the 20th century. Four other domes symbolize Saint Evangelists: St. Mathew, St. Mark, St. Luke, St. John.
There is a lot of light inside the church. Inside the church amazes you with is height and the high iconostasis. The seven-tired, wooden, carved, gilded iconostasis of the Trinity cathedral is one of the most grandiose iconostases of the 17-18th centuries, which have survived to our day. The domes inside are painted with stars and clouds as symbols of heaven.
It’s impossible to imagine Pskov without the Trinity Cathedral. Its silver domes are up in the sky, aspiring to the eternity. A mighty bell tower is standing next to the cathedral. A cross which is called “Olga’s cross” is one of the relics of the Cathedral. It was made in 1623 as a copy of an ancient cross, which, according to a legend was made by order of Princess Olga. This relic burnt in the fire in 1590. There were other relics venerated by Pskov people as well, which were kept in the cathedral. Among them was the sword of Prince Vsevolod-Gavriil. Even Peter the Great, who was a strong person and whose stature was known to be above average, was surprised to see how big this sword was.
Another venerated object in the church is the reliquary containing the holy relics of venerated city saints: Pskov princes Vsevolod-Gavriil and Dovmont-Timofey, venerable martyr Iosaph, the head of Snetogorsky monastery and blessed Nicholas, a Wonderworker. Pskov people especially venerate the miracle-working icon of the Virgin Mary “Chirskaya”. It was brought to the Cathedral in 1420 in the memory of a plague which was stopped after people prayed in front of this icon. Pskov chronicles mention this event.
The Trinity Cathedral is not only our history, it’s our present, it is something inviolable and immortal, that unites different people, different cultures and different epochs…
DEAR, QURAN POWERS RESPECTNATION?>
بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ (1:1)
In the name of God, The Most Gracious, The Dispenser of Grace
إِنَّا فَتَحْنَا لَكَ فَتْحًا مُّبِينًا (48:1)
VERILY, [O Muhammad,] We have laid open before thee a manifest victory, [1] - 48:1 (Asad)
Al-Fath (The Victory) - 48:2
لِيَغْفِرَ لَكَ اللَّهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِن ذَنبِكَ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ وَيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكَ وَيَهْدِيَكَ صِرَاطًا مُّسْتَقِيمًا (48:2)
so that God might show His forgiveness of all thy faults, past as well as future, [2] and [thus] bestow upon thee the full measure of His blessings, and guide thee on a straight way, [3] - 48:2 (Asad)
Al-Fath (The Victory) - 48:3
وَيَنصُرَكَ اللَّهُ نَصْرًا عَزِيزًا (48:3)
and [show] that God will succour thee with [His] mighty succour. - 48:3 (Asad)
Al-Fath (The Victory) - 48:4
هُوَ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ السَّكِينَةَ فِي قُلُوبِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ لِيَزْدَادُوا إِيمَانًا مَّعَ إِيمَانِهِمْ وَلِلَّهِ جُنُودُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا (48:4)
It is He who from on high has bestowed inner peace upon the hearts of the believers, [4] so that - seeing that God’s are all the forces of the heavens and the earth, and that God is all-knowing, truly wise - they might grow yet more firm in their faith; [5] - 48:4 (Asad)
Al-Fath (The Victory) - 48:5
لِيُدْخِلَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا وَيُكَفِّرَ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ وَكَانَ ذَلِكَ عِندَ اللَّهِ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا (48:5)
[and] that He might admit the believers, both men and women, into gardens through which running waters flow, therein to abide, and that He might efface their [past bad] deeds: and that is, in the sight of God, indeed a triumph supreme
لَيْسَ عَلَى الْأَعْمَى حَرَجٌ وَلَا عَلَى الْأَعْرَجِ حَرَجٌ وَلَا عَلَى الْمَرِيضِ حَرَجٌ وَمَن يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ يُدْخِلْهُ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّ يُعَذِّبْهُ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا (48:17)
No blame attaches to the blind, nor does blame attach to the lame, nor does blame attach to the sick [for staying away from a war in God’s cause]; [19] but whoever heeds [the call of] God and His Apostle [in deed or in heart], [20] him will He admit into gardens through which running waters flow; whereas him who turns away will He chastise with grievous chastise-ment. - 48:17 (Asad)
Al-Fath (The Victory) - 48:18
لَقَدْ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذْ يُبَايِعُونَكَ تَحْتَ الشَّجَرَةِ فَعَلِمَ مَا فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ فَأَنزَلَ السَّكِينَةَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَأَثَابَهُمْ فَتْحًا قَرِيبًا (48:18)
INDEED, well-pleased was God with the believers when they pledged their allegiance unto thee [O Muhammad] under that tree, [21] for He knew what was in their hearts; and so He bestowed inner peace upon them from on high, and rewarded them with [the glad tiding of] a victory soon to come [22] - 48:18 (Asad)
Al-Fath (The Victory) - 48:19
وَمَغَانِمَ كَثِيرَةً يَأْخُذُونَهَا وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًا (48:19)
and [of] many war-gains which they would achieve: for God is indeed almighty, wise. - 48:19 (Asad)
Al-Fath (The Victory) - 48:20
وَعَدَكُمُ اللَّهُ مَغَانِمَ كَثِيرَةً تَأْخُذُونَهَا فَعَجَّلَ لَكُمْ هَذِهِ وَكَفَّ أَيْدِيَ النَّاسِ عَنكُمْ وَلِتَكُونَ آيَةً لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَيَهْدِيَكُمْ صِرَاطًا مُّسْتَقِيمًا (48:20)
[O you who believe!] God has promised you many war-gains which you shall yet achieve; and He has vouchsafed you these [worldly gains] well in advance, [23] and has stayed from you the hands of [hostile] people, so that this [your inner strength] may become a symbol to the believers [who will come after you [24] ] , and that He may guide you all on a straight way. - 48:20 (Asad)
Al-Fath (The Victory) - 48:21
وَأُخْرَى لَمْ تَقْدِرُوا عَلَيْهَا قَدْ أَحَاطَ اللَّهُ بِهَا وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرًا (48:21)
And there are yet other [gains] which are still beyond your grasp, [25] [but] which God has already encompassed [for you]: for God has the power to will anything. - 48:21 (Asad)
Al-Fath (The Victory) - 48:22
وَلَوْ قَاتَلَكُمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَوَلَّوُا الْأَدْبَارَ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُونَ وَلِيًّا وَلَا نَصِيرًا (48:22)
And [now,] if they who are bent on denying the truth should fight against you, they will indeed turn their backs [in flight], and will find none to protect them and none to bring them succour: [26] - 48:22 (Asad)
Al-Fath (The Victory) - 48:23
سُنَّةَ اللَّهِ الَّتِي قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلُ وَلَن تَجِدَ لِسُنَّةِ اللَّهِ تَبْدِيلًا (48:23)
such being God’s way which has ever obtained in the past - and never wilt thou find any change in God’s way! [27] - 48:23 (Asad)
Al-Fath (The Victory) - 48:24
وَهُوَ الَّذِي كَفَّ أَيْدِيَهُمْ عَنكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ عَنْهُم بِبَطْنِ مَكَّةَ مِن بَعْدِ أَنْ أَظْفَرَكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرًا (48:24)
And He it is who, in the valley of Mecca , stayed their hands from you, and your hands from them, after He had enabled you to vanquish them; and God saw indeed what you were doing. [28] - 48:24 (Asad)
Al-Fath (The Victory) - 48:25
هُمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَصَدُّوكُمْ عَنِ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَالْهَدْيَ مَعْكُوفًا أَن يَبْلُغَ مَحِلَّهُ وَلَوْلَا رِجَالٌ مُّؤْمِنُونَ وَنِسَاء مُّؤْمِنَاتٌ لَّمْ تَعْلَمُوهُمْ أَن تَطَؤُوهُمْ فَتُصِيبَكُم مِّنْهُم مَّعَرَّةٌ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ لِيُدْخِلَ اللَّهُ فِي رَحْمَتِهِ مَن يَشَاء لَوْ تَزَيَّلُوا لَعَذَّبْنَا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْهُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا (48:25)
[It was not for your enemies sake that He stayed your hands from them: for] [29] it was they who were bent on denying the truth, and who debarred you from the Inviolable House of Worship [30] and prevented your offering from reaching its destina-tion. [31] And had it not been for the believing men and believing women [in Mecca ], whom you might have unwittingly trampled underfoot, [32] and on whose account you might have become guilty, without knowing it, of a grievous wrong-: [had it not been for this, you would have been allowed to fight your way into the city: but you were forbidden to fight] [33] so that [in time] God might admit to His grace whomever He wills. [34] Had they [who deserve Our mercy and they whom We have condemned] been clearly discernible [to you], [35] We would indeed have imposed grievous suffering [at your hands] on such of them as were bent on denying the truth. - 48:25 (Asad)
Al-Fath (The Victory) - 48:26
إِذْ جَعَلَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ الْحَمِيَّةَ حَمِيَّةَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَأَنزَلَ اللَّهُ سَكِينَتَهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ وَعَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَأَلْزَمَهُمْ كَلِمَةَ التَّقْوَى وَكَانُوا أَحَقَّ بِهَا وَأَهْلَهَا وَكَانَ اللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمًا (48:26)
Whereas they who are bent on denying the truth harboured a stubborn disdain in their hearts - the stubborn disdain [born] of ignorance [36] God bestowed from on high His [gift of] inner peace upon His Apostle and the believers, and bound them to the spirit of God-consciousness: [37] for they were most worthy of this [divine gift], and deserved it well. And God has full knowledge of all things. - 48:26 (Asad)
Al-Fath (The Victory) - 48:27
لَقَدْ صَدَقَ اللَّهُ رَسُولَهُ الرُّؤْيَا بِالْحَقِّ لَتَدْخُلُنَّ الْمَسْجِدَ الْحَرَامَ إِن شَاء اللَّهُ آمِنِينَ مُحَلِّقِينَ رُؤُوسَكُمْ وَمُقَصِّرِينَ لَا تَخَافُونَ فَعَلِمَ مَا لَمْ تَعْلَمُوا فَجَعَلَ مِن دُونِ ذَلِكَ فَتْحًا قَرِيبًا (48:27)
Indeed, God has shown the truth in His Apostle’s true vision: [38] most certainly shall you enter the Inviolable House of Worship, if God so wills, in full security, with your heads shaved or your hair cut short, without any fear: [39] for He has [always] known that which you yourselves could not know. [40] And He has ordained [for you], besides this, a victory soon to come. [41] - 48:27 (Asad)
Al-Fath (The Victory) - 48:28
هُوَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلَ رَسُولَهُ بِالْهُدَى وَدِينِ الْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهُ عَلَى الدِّينِ كُلِّهِ وَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ شَهِيدًا (48:28)
He it is who has sent forth His Apostle with the [task of spreading] guidance and the religion of truth, to the end that He make it prevail over every [false] religion; and none can bear witness [to the truth] as God does. [42] - 48:28 (Asad)
Al-Fath (The Victory) - 48:29
مُّحَمَّدٌ رَّسُولُ اللَّهِ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ أَشِدَّاء عَلَى الْكُفَّارِ رُحَمَاء بَيْنَهُمْ تَرَاهُمْ رُكَّعًا سُجَّدًا يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلًا مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانًا سِيمَاهُمْ فِي وُجُوهِهِم مِّنْ أَثَرِ السُّجُودِ ذَلِكَ مَثَلُهُمْ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ وَمَثَلُهُمْ فِي الْإِنجِيلِ كَزَرْعٍ أَخْرَجَ شَطْأَهُ فَآزَرَهُ فَاسْتَغْلَظَ فَاسْتَوَى عَلَى سُوقِهِ يُعْجِبُ الزُّرَّاعَ لِيَغِيظَ بِهِمُ الْكُفَّارَ وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ مِنْهُم مَّغْفِرَةً وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًا (48:29)
MUHAMMAD is God’s Apostle; and those who are [truly] with him are firm and unyielding [43] towards all deniers of the truth, [yet] full of mercy towards one another. [44] Thou canst see them bowing down, pros-trating themselves [in prayer], seeking favour with God and [His] goodly acceptance: their marks are on their faces, traced by prostration. [45] This is their parable in the Torah as well as their parable in the Gospel: [46] [they are] like a seed that brings forth its shoot, and then He strengthens it, so that it grows stout, and [in the end] stands firm upon its stem, delighting the sowers. [Thus will God cause the believers to grow in strength,] so that through them He might confound the deniers of the truth. [47] [But] unto such of them as may [yet] attain to faith and do righteous deeds, God has promised forgiveness and a reward supreme.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُقَدِّمُوا بَيْنَ يَدَيِ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ (49:1)
O YOU who have attained to faith! Do not put yourselves forward [1] in the presence of [what] God and His Apostle [may have ordained], but remain conscious of God: for, verily, God is all-hearing, all-knowing! - 49:1 (Asad)
Al-Hujurat (The Dwellings) - 49:2
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَرْفَعُوا أَصْوَاتَكُمْ فَوْقَ صَوْتِ النَّبِيِّ وَلَا تَجْهَرُوا لَهُ بِالْقَوْلِ كَجَهْرِ بَعْضِكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ أَن تَحْبَطَ أَعْمَالُكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَشْعُرُونَ (49:2)
O you who have attained to faith! Do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet, [2] and neither speak loudly to him, as you would speak loudly to one another, [3] lest all your [good] deeds come to nought without your perceiving it. - 49:2 (Asad)
Al-Hujurat (The Dwellings) - 49:3
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَغُضُّونَ أَصْوَاتَهُمْ عِندَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُوْلَئِكَ الَّذِينَ امْتَحَنَ اللَّهُ قُلُوبَهُمْ لِلتَّقْوَى لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ وَأَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ (49:3)
Behold, they who lower their voices in the presence of God’s Apostle - it is they whose hearts God has tested [and opened] to consciousness of Himself; [and] theirs shall be forgiveness and a reward supreme
الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَصَدُّوا عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَضَلَّ أَعْمَالَهُمْ (47:1)
AS FOR THOSE who are bent on denying the truth and on barring [others] from the path of God - all their [good] deeds will He let go to waste; [1] - 47:1 (Asad)
Muhammad - 47:2
وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَآمَنُوا بِمَا نُزِّلَ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَهُوَ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ كَفَّرَ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ وَأَصْلَحَ بَالَهُمْ (47:2)
whereas those who have attained to faith and do righteous deeds, and have come to believe in what has been bestowed from on high on Muhammad - for it is the truth from their Sustainer - [shall attain to God’s grace:] He will efface their [past] bad deeds, and will set their hearts at rest. [2] - 47:2 (Asad)
Muhammad - 47:3
ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا اتَّبَعُوا الْبَاطِلَ وَأَنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّبَعُوا الْحَقَّ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ كَذَلِكَ يَضْرِبُ اللَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ أَمْثَالَهُمْ (47:3)
This, because they who are bent on denying the truth pursue falsehood, whereas they who have attained to faith pursue [but] the truth [that flows] from their Sustainer. In this way does God set forth unto man the parables of their true state. [3] - 47:3 (Asad)
Muhammad - 47:4
فَإِذا لَقِيتُمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فَضَرْبَ الرِّقَابِ حَتَّى إِذَا أَثْخَنتُمُوهُمْ فَشُدُّوا الْوَثَاقَ فَإِمَّا مَنًّا بَعْدُ وَإِمَّا فِدَاء حَتَّى تَضَعَ الْحَرْبُ أَوْزَارَهَا ذَلِكَ وَلَوْ يَشَاء اللَّهُ لَانتَصَرَ مِنْهُمْ وَلَكِن لِّيَبْلُوَ بَعْضَكُم بِبَعْضٍ وَالَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَلَن يُضِلَّ أَعْمَالَهُمْ (47:4)
NOW WHEN you meet [in war] those who are bent on denying the truth, [4] smite their necks until you overcome them fully, and then tighten their bonds; [5] but thereafter [set them free,] either by an act of grace or against ransom, so that the burden of war may be lifted: [6] thus [shall it be]. And [know that] had God so willed, He could indeed punish them [Himself]; but [He wills you to struggle] so as to test you [all] by means of one another. [7] And as for those who are slain in God’s cause, never will He let their deeds go to waste: - 47:4 (Asad)
Muhammad - 47:5
سَيَهْدِيهِمْ وَيُصْلِحُ بَالَهُمْ (47:5)
He will guide them [in the hereafter as well], and will set their hearts at rest, - 47:5 (Asad)
Muhammad - 47:6
وَيُدْخِلُهُمُ الْجَنَّةَ عَرَّفَهَا لَهُمْ (47:6)
and will admit them to the paradise which He has promised them. - 47:6 (Asad)
Muhammad - 47:7
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِن تَنصُرُوا اللَّهَ يَنصُرْكُمْ وَيُثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَكُمْ (47:7)
O you who have attained to faith! If you help [the cause of] God, He will help you, and will make firm your steps; - 47:7 (Asad)
Muhammad - 47:8
وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فَتَعْسًا لَّهُمْ وَأَضَلَّ أَعْمَالَهُمْ (47:8)
but as for those who are bent on denying the truth, ill fortune awaits them, since He will let all their [good] deeds go to waste: - 47:8 (Asad)
Muhammad - 47:9
ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَرِهُوا مَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأَحْبَطَ أَعْمَالَهُمْ (47:9)
this, because they hate [the very thought of] what God has bestowed from on high [8] and thus He causes all their deeds to come to nought! [9] - 47:9 (Asad)
Muhammad - 47:10
أَفَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَيَنظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ دَمَّرَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلِلْكَافِرِينَ أَمْثَالُهَا (47:10)
Have they, then, never journeyed about the earth and beheld what happened in the end to those [willful sinners] who lived before their time? God destroyed them utterly: and the like thereof awaits all who deny the truth. [10] - 47:10 (Asad)
Muhammad - 47:11
ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ مَوْلَى الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَأَنَّ الْكَافِرِينَ لَا مَوْلَى لَهُمْ (47:11)
This, because God is the Protector of all who have attained to faith, whereas they who deny the truth have no protector. - 47:11 (Asad)
Muhammad - 47:12
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُدْخِلُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يَتَمَتَّعُونَ وَيَأْكُلُونَ كَمَا تَأْكُلُ الْأَنْعَامُ وَالنَّارُ مَثْوًى لَّهُمْ (47:12)
Verily, God will admit all who attain to faith and do righteous deeds into gardens through which running waters flow, whereas they who are bent on denying the truth shall have - even though they may enjoy their life [in this world] and eat as cattle eat - the fire [of the hereafter] for their abode. - 47:12 (Asad)
Muhammad - 47:13
وَكَأَيِّن مِّن قَرْيَةٍ هِيَ أَشَدُّ قُوَّةً مِّن قَرْيَتِكَ الَّتِي أَخْرَجَتْكَ أَهْلَكْنَاهُمْ فَلَا نَاصِرَ لَهُمْ (47:13)
And how many a community [11] of greater power than this thy community which has driven thee out, [O Muhammad,] have We destroyed, with none to succour them! - 47:13 (Asad)
Muhammad - 47:14
أَفَمَن كَانَ عَلَى بَيِّنَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّهِ كَمَن زُيِّنَ لَهُ سُوءُ عَمَلِهِ وَاتَّبَعُوا أَهْوَاءهُمْ (47:14)
CAN, THEN, he who takes his stand on a clear evidence from his Sustainer be likened Unto one [12] to whom the evil of his own doings [always] seems goodly, and unto such as would follow but their own lusts? - 47:14 (Asad)
Muhammad - 47:15
مَثَلُ الْجَنَّةِ الَّتِي وُعِدَ الْمُتَّقُونَ فِيهَا أَنْهَارٌ مِّن مَّاء غَيْرِ آسِنٍ وَأَنْهَارٌ مِن لَّبَنٍ لَّمْ يَتَغَيَّرْ طَعْمُهُ وَأَنْهَارٌ مِّنْ خَمْرٍ لَّذَّةٍ لِّلشَّارِبِينَ وَأَنْهَارٌ مِّنْ عَسَلٍ مُّصَفًّى وَلَهُمْ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ الثَّمَرَاتِ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ كَمَنْ هُوَ خَالِدٌ فِي النَّارِ وَسُقُوا مَاء حَمِيمًا فَقَطَّعَ أَمْعَاءهُمْ (47:15)
[And can] the parable of the paradise which the God-conscious are promised [13] [a paradise] wherein there are rivers of water which time does not corrupt, and rivers of milk the taste whereof never alters, and rivers of wine delightful to those who drink it, [14] and rivers of honey of all impurity cleansed, and the enjoyment [15] of all the fruits [of their good deeds] and of forgiveness from their Sustainer -: can this [parable of paradise] be likened unto [the parable of the recompense of] [16] such as are to abide in the fire and be given waters of burning despair [17] to drink, so that it will tear their bowels asunder? - 47:15 (Asad)
Muhammad - 47:16
وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَسْتَمِعُ إِلَيْكَ حَتَّى إِذَا خَرَجُوا مِنْ عِندِكَ قَالُوا لِلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ مَاذَا قَالَ آنِفًا أُوْلَئِكَ الَّذِينَ طَبَعَ اللَّهُ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ وَاتَّبَعُوا أَهْوَاءهُمْ (47:16)
Now among those [hapless sinners] are such as [pretend to] listen to thee, [O Muhammad,] [18] and then, as soon as they leave thy presence, speak [with scorn] unto those who have understood [thy mes-sage]: [19] “What is it that he has said just now?” It is such as these whose hearts God has sealed because they [always] followed but their own lusts [20] - 47:16 (Asad)
Muhammad - 47:17
وَالَّذِينَ اهْتَدَوْا زَادَهُمْ هُدًى وَآتَاهُمْ تَقْواهُمْ (47:17)
just as for those who are [willing to be] guided, He increases their [ability to follow His] guidance and causes them to grow in God-consciousness. [21] - 47:17 (Asad)
Muhammad - 47:18
فَهَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّا السَّاعَةَ أَن تَأْتِيَهُم بَغْتَةً فَقَدْ جَاء أَشْرَاطُهَا فَأَنَّى لَهُمْ إِذَا جَاءتْهُمْ ذِكْرَاهُمْ (47:18)
Are, then, they [whose hearts are sealed] wait-ing for the Last Hour - [waiting] that it come upon them of a sudden? But it has already been foretold! [22] And what will their remembrance [of their past sins] avail them, once it has come upon them? [23] - 47:18 (Asad)
Muhammad - 47:19
فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لِذَنبِكَ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مُتَقَلَّبَكُمْ وَمَثْوَاكُمْ (47:19)
Know, then, [O man,] that there is no deity save God, and [while there is yet time,] ask forgive-ness for thy sins and for [the sins of] all other believing men and women: for God knows all your comings and goings as well as your abiding [at rest].
These are the hands that take care of me, support me and protect me. My boyfriend is the most amazing person I have met. He's been there in more ways then he could ever imagine and I will always be greatful for that.
18
“This Is Water: Some Thoughts, Delivered on a Significant Occasion, about Living a Compassionate Life” ―David Foster Wallace, 2009
“Because here's something else that's weird but true: in the day-to-day trenches of adult life, there is actually no such thing as atheism. There is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship. And the compelling reason for maybe choosing some sort of god or spiritual-type thing to worship--be it JC or Allah, be it YHWH or the Wiccan Mother Goddess, or the Four Noble Truths, or some inviolable set of ethical principles--is that pretty much anything else you worship will eat you alive. If you worship money and things, if they are where you tap real meaning in life, then you will never have enough, never feel you have enough. It's the truth. Worship your body and beauty and sexual allure and you will always feel ugly. And when time and age start showing, you will die a million deaths before they finally grieve you. On one level, we all know this stuff already. It's been codified as myths, proverbs, clichés, epigrams, parables; the skeleton of every great story. The whole trick is keeping the truth up front in daily consciousness.
Worship power, you will end up feeling weak and afraid, and you will need ever more power over others to numb you to your own fear. Worship your intellect, being seen as smart, you will end up feeling stupid, a fraud, always on the verge of being found out. But the insidious thing about these forms of worship is not that they're evil or sinful, it's that they're unconscious. They are default settings.
They're the kind of worship you just gradually slip into, day after day, getting more and more selective about what you see and how you measure value without ever being fully aware that that's what you're doing.”
The King is Coming
Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty-- he is the King of glory. Psalm 24:9-10, NIV
This seven coin replica set exemplifies the currency used in Jerusalem during the time and ministry of Jesus Christ.
Widows Mite Capanius 6-9 A.D.
The smallest of Greek bronze coins. The word 'mite' was used in the Bible and was obviously referred to as the smallest coin known and used by the Jews. Luke 21:1-3 . . . “And he looked up and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, of a truth I say unto you that this poor widow hast cast in more than they all. For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God; but she of her penury hath cast in all of the living she had.”
Herod the Great 37 B.C.-4 A.D.
Also known as Herod l, was described as "a madman who murdered his own family and a great many rabbis." He is also known for his colossal building projects in Jerusalem and other parts of the ancient world, including the rebuilding of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, sometimes referred to as
Herod's Temple.
Herod Antipas 4 B.C.-40 A.D.
This ruler, known as a tetrarch, was the son of Herod the Great, and his original heir. His second wife was Herodias, who was the wife of his brother. He built Tiberias in honor of his patron, the notorious Emperor Tiberius, where he issued his coins. This replica has a palm branch, the title, ³Herod the Tetrarch², and a border of dots on the obverse. The reverse has a wreath with ³Tiberius² in Greek, in the center. As a result of his relations with Herodias, he put John the Baptist to death. Matthew 6:14-27 . . . “For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John and bound him in prison. For Herodias¹s sake, his brother Philip¹s wife, for he had married her . . . and when the daughter of the said
Herodias came in and danced and pleased Herod . . . the king said unto the damsel ask me whatsoever thou wilt. And she came in . . . and asked saying I will that thou give me by and by, in a charger, the head of John the Baptist.”
Tribute Penny Tiberius 14-37 A.D.
This coin, called ³penny² in the 1611 King James Version of the Bible, should be called “tribute denarius.” In ancient times, while the Roman legions occupied Britain, the denarius was the standard coin. Tiberius was the Roman Emperor (Caesar) who ruled during Jesus¹ lifetime. Mark 12:14-16 .
“Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not? But he, knowing their hypocrisy said unto them, Why tempt ye me? Bring me a penny, that I may see it. And they brought it. And he said unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto Him, Caesar¹s. And Jesus said unto them,
Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar¹s and to God the things that are God¹s.²”
Lepton Pontius Pilate 26-36 A.D.
Pontius Pilate, known to all Christians for his delivery of Jesus to the crucifixion, was Governor of the Holy Land. He came from the household of Tiberius and was probably a freedman. The coin shows a simpulum (ladle) said to be a sacred vessel presented to the Temple by Tiberius. The obverse has three
ears of grain bound together. The legend reads, “Money of Julia Caesar” (wife of Tiberius). John 18:28-19:42 .”Pilate then went out unto them, and said, what accusation bring ye against this man . . .”
Shekel of Tyre 1 B.C.-1 A.D.
The thirty pieces of silver paid to Judas by the Pharisees for the betraying of Christ are thought to be these coins. The replicas come from those minted in the Phoenician city of Tyre. The shekel, acceptable as Temple dues, was referred to as “Tyrian money.” The obverse shows a laureate head of Melkarth, a Phoenician god in the form of the Greek god Heracles. An eagle stands on a ship¹s prow with a palm branch in the background. The legend in Greek reads “Tyre sacred and inviolable sanctuary.” The club is a symbol of Melkarth.
Stater of Antioch 27 B.C.-14 A.D.
This replica of the Tetradrachm of Antioch in Syria may also possibly be the type of silver coin given to Judas for the betrayal of Christ. On the obverse is a portrait of Emperor Augustus. The reverse depicts a female figure representing the Tyche patron goddess of Antioch with the river Orontes at her feet. Matthew 26:15 . “And said unto them what will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.”
The monument commonly called Long Meg
- A poem by William Wordsworth. (1822)
A weight of Awe not easy to be borne
Fell suddenly upon my spirit, cast
From the dread bosom of the unknown past,
When first I saw that family forlorn;
Speak Thou, whose massy strength and stature scorn
The power of years - pre-eminent, and placed
Apart, to overlook the circle vast.
Speak Giant-mother! tell it to the Morn,
While she dispels the cumbrous shades of night;
Let the Moon hear, emerging from a cloud,
At whose behest uprose on British ground
That Sisterhood in hieroglyphic round
Forth-shadowing, some have deemed the infinite
The inviolable God that tames the proud.
Elliot: “Well, as I have told you, she didn’t know her real parents. (smiles faintly) She told me about this, and only me. She swore to me that she’d kill me if I ever told anybody… Of course she didn’t mean it literally, but she just didn’t want anyone to know, 'cause she felt so ashamed… I tried telling her that it wasn't her fault, but she still didn't want anyone to know. But she ain’t here no more, so I might as well tell you. I feel like I need to tell you. So… Vinnie had been living in a foster home up until she was 13. It was her foster dad. He raped her – several times. What’s worse: she got pregnant. She gave the baby away, just like her parents had done to her. And she ran away from the foster home as soon as she felt fit enough, and she lived on her own ever since. That’s why she turned to drugs in the first place.”
Sybil (stares at him shocked): “Oh my…That's awful. It kinda puts my pain into a new perspective.”
Elliot: “She had suffered so much… That’s why I felt so connected to her since the minute I met her. She told me when we met that I had lost my inviolability to the degradation of life. I had no idea what she was talking about. I told her that: ‘Hey, you don’t even know me.’ I thought to myself like: ‘Can she see my scars? Is she a witch or something?’ Then she said that I’ve got fearful eyes that tell a story about my life. So she could just see aaaall my pain in my eyes. The way she did it was practically psychic, totally magical. It’s like she found a key to my soul and got its lock open… And now… (starts crying) It all comes back with a flush! I mean my past. It’s like those scars I thought had healed were opened again… My soul has been ripped open all over again, and I’m gonna have to find a way to patch it up… How could he do this to me? How could he hurt his own son?!” (sniffles and looks at her with teary eyes)
Sybil (starts crying and hugs him tight): “Oh, Elliot! I don’t know the answer to that. But I do know this: I can help you. We can both help each other.”
Elliot (sobs behind her back): “I understand you, Sybil. I can feel your pain. Do you believe me? I can feel your pain…”
Sybil: “I know you can… as I can feel yours.”
Elliot: “I have to take my words back about something… You ain’t always right, Sybil. You were wrong about one thing… I do know about love. I know about it, because you thought me about it. I tried to help Vinnie, but she didn’t let me. Vinnie and I were too much alike, so I couldn’t learn anything from her but bitterness. Nobody else has ever made me feel this way. It was you all along. God… I love you, Sybil!” (holds her tight and sobs behind her back)
Sybil (sniffles): “Prove it to me.”
Elliot: “I will… (gets confused) How?”
To be continued…
------------------------------------
Only two episodes left of this season! :-O What do you think Sybil is going to suggest Elliot? Will they manage to patch things up between them? Should Sybil see a therapist like Elliot is doing? At least they seem to be getting on well again. Happy Valentine's Day! ;-)
Exhibition Review - Hannah Levy and Michael Simpson:'Shall we sit, stand or kneel?' Marlborough Chelsea, New York till 3rd Dec 2016.
“Denied of tiresome fixations,
it bends my body into incongruous places."
- Drenched Co.
Comment: "The emptiness in Simpson's paintings and Levy's chromed metal and silicone (recently escaped from their “design purgatory”) made me think of my local surgery's consultation rooms. And aptly enough both artists disassemble contexts in search of powers in their wonted seats, laying them bare through slick bits of archaeology. Being apparently free from bondage and semantic connections, I felt a strange familiarity with these paintings and sculptures, due perhaps to their new potentials but also (funnily enough) to their inviolable relations to the body. Brilliant!" - JayZee
See marlboroughchelsea.com/chelsea/exhibitions/shall-we-sit-s...
See also www.soaked.space/2016/12/exhibition-review-hannah-levy-an...
See also www.woundsthatbind.com/2016/12/exhibition-review-hannah-l...
Caption: Image above: Installation view Hannah Levy© Michael Simpson© Marlborough Chelsea, New York 2016
Image courtesy of the artist and Marlborough Chelsea, New York. Photo credit: Daniel Peréz
We take great care not to harm the image in any way. And these views, they are ours only and not those of the gallery or artist.
#cutsoverart #drenchedco #soakedspace #HannahLevy #MichaelSimpson #MarlboroughChelsea #Shallwesitstandorkneel #artnewyork #newyorkart #artinnewyork #londonart #artlondon #artinlondon #artberlin #berlinart #artinberlin #artreview #design #purgatory #GiordanoBruno #lepersquint #ubiquityofbody #formandfunction #flatsurfacepaintings #benchpaintings #denial #ergonomic
Dia 99: Una fotografia que la tome mas para textura qu como foto, tambien me va a servir para hacer fondos de wallpapers para mi página amiga emelexista.com. Pos ahi esta.
Europe and America have their coffee shops. Taiwan, in the Chinese tradition, also has tea houses. Here the solitary poetic spirit repairs to the most old-fashioned of settings to conjure up a Chinese culture and a Chinese mind that is utterly new and has never been before, and yet at the same time is more like what has gone before than anything now existing. The poet -- like the artist, the writer and the true scholar -- knows culture is not some inviolable tradition, written in stone, but an ever-expanding dance of freedom, aliveness and innovation whose aim is to create the better man, the superior person, the truer life. It thrives on freedom from the tyranny of ideas, dogmas and power. It reinvents the present in a way that reconfigures not just the future, but the past as well. History cannot change; but our way of looking at it does. We come to see the past in a different way. We draw new conclusions.
On the streets of Taipei today, and on TV screens and front pages around the world, the red shirts are out in number demanding that the President of Taiwan resign because of all the corruption scandals. Who among his loyal supporters down here in the heartland of Taiwan where I live isn’t a little bit glad to see the man and his party get this deserved slap in the face. The common people put him and his party in power because he promised to deliver them from the thieving KMT – not take over their role. “I feel betrayed,” a staunch Green supporter said to me the other day with a sunken look. That’s the general feeling in this part of Taiwan: betrayal, shame, and disgust that the President would let this happen. But let us remember that history may view the events of today quite differently than we do now.
I think historians will look back and see that in these times Taiwan was moving towards the future in a radically different way than China. Authoritarianism in China, so long bolstered by aping the outer form of European Communism, now cloaks itself in the outer forms of American Capitalism to head into what promises to be a big, powerful future. China wears the different garment, talks the different talk, and walks the different walk. But the footprints it leaves behind in the lives of its own people show the claw marks of the same ugly beast. Taiwan is different. Not just because of the Green Party, and the indigenous Taiwanese intelligencia and pro-democracy advocates that came together under its banner, but also because of the Blues, and the innocent foot soldiers, thugs, entrepreneurs and bluebloods who gave rise to them. The magic that happened in Taiwan couldn’t have happened without both camps. The DPP and the KMT: each played its role. They are the pieces of a whole. In China this whole didn’t survive. In Taiwan it did. This is what future historians will see. That throughout Taiwan’s long history the island often served as a refuge for that which was hard pressed and on the run elsewhere won’t be contested. But whereas present historians stress this as a disadvantage, future ones are apt to see it as a boon. Something got preserved here, something survived, that got wiped out in mainland China. In Taiwan alone the whole of Chinese culture comes forward to meet the present-day world. The seed reached these shores, sprouted, and it grew.
The nations of the world make a huge mistake by not noticing this and by failing to admit Taiwan as a full-fledged member of the global community. They also err in not affording Taiwan the umbrella of protection it needs and deserves for its messy and puerile democracy to come to term and give birth to something that has never before existed in Asia – a Chinese culture that is alive with a freedom commensurate with its genius, and thus a Chinese culture that has been delivered to the source of its real creative power. The crippled beast on the Mainland, masquerading as the “one” China, bristling daily with more missiles and armaments, is not intact, as its erratic and unpredictable behavior shows. It is a scary threat to global security. The world is too blinded by short-term greed to notice.
The very messiness of Taiwan’s democracy — the fact that the issue of official corruption is, for the first time in a Chinese culture, being openly addressed on the streets here, and most certainly in the tea shops also — is evidence not of Taiwan’s failure but of its great accomplishment. No matter which side you’re on, Blue or Green, this is obvious. Why it isn’t obvious to the red shirts raising such a ruckus in the streets today boggles the imagination. In China, demonstrators like them have been met with tanks and bullets. To even broach the subject of corruption in that country lands one in prison, or worse.
Because China is so important to the world, and because in Taiwan alone the whole of it is preserved, this island is a global resource and needs to be protected from the giant on the mainland, at least until which time the rulers there learn how to let China be free, how to let it be alive, and how properly to relate to it, its traditions, and, most of all, its people -- especially those brave souls who dare speak the truth. These don’t belong in jail. China desperately needs them in its tea houses, where they can happily write their hearts out like they do here in Taiwan.
* * *
they took the name Agartha, meaning "unreachable" or "inaccessible", "inviolable", because they found it convenient to establish their habitation of peace
My first go at Arabic calligraphy :D)
Akhi – ‘My Brother’
THE MESSENGER OF ALLAH (saw) SAID: “A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. He neither oppresses him nor humiliates him nor looks down upon him. The piety is here, (and while saying so) he pointed towards his chest thrice. It is a serious evil for a Muslim that he should look down upon his brother Muslim. All things of a Muslim are inviolable for his brother in faith; his blood, his wealth and his honor.” Sahih Muslim
© Enam Choudhury Design & Photography 2014
“O ye that abide beneath the tabernacle of grandeur! O ye that dwell within the pavilion of inviolable sanctity! O ye that are sheltered under the canopy of loftiness and glory! Lift up your voices and sing in the most melodious of tones in your most exalted chambers, for in this Dispensation the veiled Beauty hath been revealed, and the Day-Star of the Unseen hath risen above the horizon of ancient glory.”
Taboo, or not?
Tattoos have had different significance in different societies, respected and deemed as the highest honor in some, but often viewed negatively in ours. Tattooing has been around for thousands of years, and is one of the oldest forms of art, laden with as many unusual meanings as there are global cultures. These indelible marks denote maturity, status, belonging, or surely the oldest – adding to the beauty of the wearer.
How then, do we see tattoos locally? Even as the global community continues to grow in size and social acceptance, it might still be inviolable in the local context. We seek, thus, to carefully examine this age-old taboo.
Do people really understand tattoos then? What are the trends, the culture and the ethos of this ancient art that people understand locally?
I believe in the majesty of constitutional and legal processes, in the inviolability of human rights.
The North American B-25 Mitchell Medium Bomber was an American aircraft introduced into World War Two in 1941 and named in honour of Major General William ''Billy'' Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S Military Aviation. Used by many Allied Air Forces, the B-25 served in every Theater of World War Two, and after the war ended, many remained in service, operating across four decades. Produced in numerous variants, nearly 10,000 B-25's were built, these included several limited models such as the F-10 Reconnaissance Aircraft, the AT-24 Crew Trainers, and the United States Marine Corps' PBJ-1 Patrol Bomber.
The Air Corps issued a specification for a Medium Bomber in March 1939 that was capable of carrying a payload of 2,400lb over 1,200 miles at 300mph, North American Aviation used its NA-40B design to develop the NA-62, which competed for the Medium Bomber contract. No. YB-25 was available for prototype service tests. In September 1939, the Air Corps ordered the NA-62 into production as the B-25, along with the other new Air Corps Medium Bomber, the Martin B-26 Marauder ''off the drawing board''.
Early into B-25 production, North American Aviation incorporated a significant redesign to the wing dihedral, the first nine Aircraft had a constant-dihedral, meaning the wing had a consistent, upward angle from the fuselage to the wingtip. This design caused stability problems. ''Flattening'' the outer wing panels by giving them a slight anhedral angle just outboard of the engine nacelles nullified the problem and gave the B-25 its ''gull wing'' configuration. Less noticeable changes during this period included an increase in the size of the tail fins and a decrease in their inward tilt at their tops.
The B-25B first gained fame as the bomber used in the 18th April 1942 ''Doolittle Raid'' in which 16 B-25B's led by Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle attacked mainland Japan, four months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The Mission gave a much-needed lift in spirits to the Americans and alarmed the Japanese, who had believed their home islands to be inviolable by Enemy Forces. Although the amount of actual damage done was relatively minor, it forced the Japanese to divert Troops for Home Defence for the remainder of the war. The Raiders took off from the Carrier U.S.S 'Hornet' and successfully bombed Tokyo and four other Japanese cities without loss.
Fifteen of the Bombers subsequently crash-landed en route to recovery fields in eastern China, these losses were the result of the Task Force being spotted by a Japanese vessel, forcing the bombers to take off 170 miles early, fuel exhaustion, stormy night time conditions with zero visibility, and lack of activated electronic homing aids at the recovery bases. Only one B-25 Bomber landed intact, in Siberia, where its five-man crew was interned and the aircraft confiscated. Of the 80 Aircrew members, 69 survived their historic mission and eventually made it back to American lines.
Although the B-25 was originally designed to bomb from medium altitudes in level flight, it was used frequently in the Southwest Pacific Theatre in treetop-level strafing and missions with parachute-retarded fragmentation bombs against Japanese Airfields in New Guinea and the Philippines. These heavily armed Mitchell's were field-modified at Townsville, Australia, under the direction of Major Paul I. ''Pappy'' Gunn and North American Technical Representative Jack Fox. These ''Commerce Destroyers'' were also used on strafing and skip bombing missions against Japanese shipping trying to resupply their armies.
Under the leadership of Lieutenant General George C. Kenney, Mitchell B-25's of the Far East Air Forces and its existing components, the Fifth and Thirteenth Air Forces, devastated Japanese Targets in the Southwest Pacific Theater during 1944 to 1945. The U.S.A.A.F played a significant role in pushing the Japanese back to their home islands. The type operated with great effect in the Central Pacific, Alaska, North Africa, Mediterranean, and China-Burma-India Theaters.
General characteristics:
▪︎Role: Medium Bomber
▪︎National Origin: United States
▪︎Manufacturer: North American Aviation
▪︎First Flight: 19th August 1940
▪︎Introduction: 1941
▪︎Retired: 1979 (Indonesia)
▪︎Primary Users: United States Army Air Forces / Royal Air Force / Soviet Air Force / United States Marine Corps
▪︎Number Built: 9,816
▪︎Developed From: North American NA-40
▪︎Developed Into: North American XB-28
▪︎Crew: 5 (Pilot, Navigator / Bombardier, Turret Gunner / Engineer, Radio Operator / Waist Gunner / Tail Gunner
▪︎Length: 52ft 11in
▪︎Wingspan: 67ft 7in
▪︎Height: 16ft 4in
▪︎Wing Area: 618 sq ft
▪︎Empty Weight: 19,480lb
▪︎Maximum Takeoff Weight: 35,000lb
▪︎Powerplant: 2 x Wright R-2600-92 Twin Cyclone 14-cylinder Two-Row Air-Cooled Radial Piston Engines 1,700hp each
▪︎Maximum Speed: 272mph at 13,000ft
▪︎Cruise Speed: 230mph
▪︎Range: 1,350 miles
▪︎Service Ceiling: 24,200ft
▪︎Weapons: 12 to 18 x .50in Machine Guns and 2.95in) T13E1 Cannon
▪︎Armament: Hardpoints 2,000lb Ventral Shackles to hold one external Mk.13 Torpedo / Racks for eight 5in High Velocity Aircraft Rockets (HVAR) / 3,000lb Bombs.
Sourced from: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_B-25_Mitchell
“This Is Water: Some Thoughts, Delivered on a Significant Occasion, about Living a Compassionate Life” ―David Foster Wallace, 2009
“Because here's something else that's weird but true: in the day-to-day trenches of adult life, there is actually no such thing as atheism. There is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship. And the compelling reason for maybe choosing some sort of god or spiritual-type thing to worship--be it JC or Allah, be it YHWH or the Wiccan Mother Goddess, or the Four Noble Truths, or some inviolable set of ethical principles--is that pretty much anything else you worship will eat you alive. If you worship money and things, if they are where you tap real meaning in life, then you will never have enough, never feel you have enough. It's the truth. Worship your body and beauty and sexual allure and you will always feel ugly. And when time and age start showing, you will die a million deaths before they finally grieve you. On one level, we all know this stuff already. It's been codified as myths, proverbs, clichés, epigrams, parables; the skeleton of every great story. The whole trick is keeping the truth up front in daily consciousness.
Worship power, you will end up feeling weak and afraid, and you will need ever more power over others to numb you to your own fear. Worship your intellect, being seen as smart, you will end up feeling stupid, a fraud, always on the verge of being found out. But the insidious thing about these forms of worship is not that they're evil or sinful, it's that they're unconscious. They are default settings.
They're the kind of worship you just gradually slip into, day after day, getting more and more selective about what you see and how you measure value without ever being fully aware that that's what you're doing.”
Sorrow of enchanted thoughts
Fist of enchanted words - still does a harm
Mirror of enchanted love - reflects the remains of feelings of degraded
hearts
Of all those fallen souls
Of all lost angels souls, of fused wings' flutter
Of all condemned souls
Of all those who wish for entering
Dimension hidden
Invisible colours, black waterfalls
Dimension hidden
Inviolable statues of deities
Dimension hidden
You stand in the middle looking for your way
Dimension hidden
Night of enchanted shadows - is black from fear and anxiety
Their existential purpose is to reach gates of silence
Of all those fallen souls
Of all lost angels souls, of fused wings' flutter
Of all condemned souls
Of all those who wish for entering
Dimension hidden
The Stand of the Swiss Guard took place during the sacking of Rome on May 6, 1527, when the Pope's Swiss guards held off troops loyal to the Habsburgs long enough for Pope Clement to escape.
The Vatican and the Papal States were part of the faction that opposed the Habsburg dynasty in the 1520s, an opposition that led to war when Pope Clement VII appealed to France for aid.
The Habsburg army, composed of Imperial and Spanish troops, was placed under the command of the Constable of France, the Duc de Bourbon, fallen from grace in France and now serving the enemy. The constable's army, with a large contingent of Lutheran mercenaries, had become increasingly mutinous, and the Emperor was preoccupied with other matters, making him unable to pay them.
As a result of his troops' attitudes, Bourbon decided to attack Rome, known to be filled with potential loot. The city, considered to be the inviolable capital of Christendom, was left almost defenseless, and, when the Pope anxiously ordered the citizens to take up arms, only 500 obeyed. Bourbon's troops quickly overwhelmed the defenders and began to plunder the ancient city. Near St. Peter's Basilica, the Swiss Guard, as the Pope's elite bodyguard unit, deployed. The captain, Kaspar Röist, intended to hold off the attackers long enough for Clement to escape across the Passetto di Borgo.
After the city's sack and the Guards' stand, Rome was subjected to a brief occupation, during which Catholic and Lutheran German troops committed outrages against the population and its religious monuments. Pope Clement, from his nominal confinement in the Castel St. Angelo, was forced to listen to cries of "Long live Luther, pontiff!" The Pope was allowed to incorporate the surviving Swiss into his new, Habsburg-authorized guard, but the Swiss Guard was reinstalled in its entirety after the occupation.
Joined by remnants of the Roman garrison, the Swiss made their stand in a cemetery well within the Vatican. Captain Röist was wounded and then killed by Spanish mercenaries, in full view of his wife. The Swiss fought bitterly, but were immensely outnumbered and almost annihilated. Some survivors, accompanied by a band of refugees, fell back to the Basilica steps. Those who went toward the Basilica were massacred, and just above forty survived. This group of forty, under the command of Hercules Goldli, managed to stave off the Habsburg troops pursuing the Pope's entourage as it made its way across the Passetto to the Castel Sant'Angelo (Wikipedia).
Ivory Coast
NANA AMON NDOUFOU, King of Sanwi. A former officer of the Ganaian army, Nana Amon Ndoufou is the most important Akan monarch in the Ivory Coast. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, four Anyi clans crossed the Komoé River and settled in Krinjabo. The chief of the first clan was immediately enthroned king of Sanwi because the Akan could not conceive of human society without a king. He is more than a symbol.; he is the soul of his people, the father of his subjects. His person is sacred and inviolable. The king identifies with long departed ancestors; that is why he is called "Nana" or "Nanan," which means "elder" or "wise man." Whatever his age, this sacred king is called "Nana" by all his subjects, even including elderly men, because he is ageless and therefor the eldest. His enthronement has connected him with all the generations of long-lost kings protecting him. He is the traditional chief, but he is not the supreme judge. He governs jointly with his war chiefs and provincial heads, the Asafohene. The Akan state is pyramidal in structure with the king at the apex, followed by the Asafohene and finally the village chiefs. In the event of open conflict, the Asafohene address a solemn warning to the king. If he fails to heed it, he is deposed. In Sanwi, this process has led to the dethronement of several monarchs; in the powerful Ashanti Confederacy, three kings were deposed in this way. In fact, an Akan king was even accused of sorcery and found guilty, and a similar fate befell Boa Koassi I, the king of the Ndenye.
African Kings by Daniel LAINÉ
At the Heart of the White Rose: the diaries and letters of Hans and Sophie Scholl, edited by Inge Jenn
Sophie Scholl: "I refuse to let anything discourage me. . . . this nothingness cannot be my master when I own quite different things, inviolable joys. Thinking of them gives me strength . . . . "
From Library Journal
The Scholls were key members of the White Rose, a student organization centered at the University of Munich that for several months (1942-43) prepared and disseminated anti-Nazi leaflets. Representing six years worth of diaries and letters, these well-edited extracts suggest how, over time, both brother and sister subconsciously prepared for the brave work they eventually undertook. It is simultaneously uplifting and agonizing to witness their gradual moral/philosophical development and their speedy capture and execution.
On behalf of a some model, at the request of the IMG model agency, AFD groups immediately cease and refrain from any unauthorized use and sale of the name, image and likeness of the model, which is an intrusion into inviolability, discredit, humiliation, embarrassment and possibly irreparable harm to the commercial interests of the model.
Chinese postcard. Photo: Momentum Pictures. Audrey Tautou in Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain (Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 2001).
Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain (2001) is a French romantic comedy film directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and starring Audrey Tautou. The film, written by Jeunet and Guillaume Laurant, is a romanticised portrayal of life in Montmartre, Paris. Amelie became an international box-office hit and was awarded four Césars (including for best film and best director) and received five Academy Award nominations. The music was composed by Yann Tiersen.
The film describes the fairy-tale-like and romantic story of the young woman Amélie Poulain who decides one day that she can make other people happy with little things. Amélie grows up isolated from other children because she is thought to suffer from a heart condition. Her father, a doctor, never touches her, so her heartbeat rises with enthusiasm when he does during the examination. Amélie's mother, who is very neurotic, dies when Amélie is still a child because a Canadian woman who jumps off Notre Dame falls on top of her. Amélie's father shuts himself off even more from the world and starts building a mausoleum for his dead wife. Because she is always on her own, Amélie develops a very rich imagination. When Amélie is older, she becomes a waitress in the Café des 2 Moulins, a small café in the Montmartre district of Paris. The owner is Suzanne, a former circus performer, and the guests are colourful. Amélie, who was 23 at the time, leads a simple life. She takes pleasure in simple things like breaking the sugar coating on crème brûlée, throwing pebbles on the Canal Saint-Martin, and fantasising about how many couples in Paris are having an orgasm at that moment. Her life changes on the day of Princess Diana's death. Through a series of events that follow her shock at the news, she discovers a small metal box behind a skirting board in her bathroom. Inside this box are memories of a boy who lived in the flat decades before Amélie. Fascinated by this, she goes in search of this now grown-up person to give him back the box. She makes an agreement with herself that if she succeeds and the person is happy, she will dedicate her life to the good things in life and helping others.
Jean-Pierre Jeunet began jotting down ideas and memories in 1974, which form the basis of Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain (2001). The profits from Alien: Resurrection (Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 1997) enabled him to make a film without making commercial concessions. In Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain (2001), Jeunet reintroduces elements from the short film Foutaises (1990), especially the "il aime/il n'aime pas" (he likes/he doesn't like) fragments in the presentation of the characters. The almost constant presence of the colour combination of strong red and strong green that could already be seen in La cité des enfants perdus/The City of the Lost Children (Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Marc Caro, 1995) returns in this film. Jeunet says in the DVD's commentary track that the idea of the album of discarded pictures came from the French writer Michel Folco, who owns such an album. Because of intellectual property rights, Jeunet could not use this album, so he had to work with extras. The film uses computer graphics and digital post-production (digital intermediate). Jeunet had actually written the role of Amélie for Emily Watson. In the original script, Amélie's father was an Englishman living in London. However, Emily Watson's French was not good enough and there was a time conflict due to the filming of Gosford Park (Robert Altman, 2001). Jeunet, therefore, rewrote the script for French actress Audrey Tautou. Filming took place at the Café des 2 Moulins in Paris, at the Gare du Nord station, outside at the Gare de l'Est and at the Sacré-Cœur church. Since the film was financially supported by the Filmstiftung NRW, the interior shots of the film were shot at the MMC Studio Coloneum in Cologne. The German painter Michael Sowa contributed some bizarre interior details. He created the pig lamp as well as some of the paintings in Amélie's room, which can be seen in the background. For the TV sequence that suddenly refers to Amélie's life in the subtitles ("Raymond Dufayel's attempt to interfere is unacceptable. If Amélie prefers to live in her dream world and remain an introverted young woman, that is her right. Because the right to a failed life is inviolable!"), a sequence from the second part of the four-part Soviet film epic Blockade (1974) about the siege of Leningrad in the Second World War was used. A recurring theme of Georges Delerue's film music for François Truffaut's film Jules te Jim/Jules and Jim (1962) is varied several times by Yann Tiersen in his soundtrack for Amelie as the main theme.
At the 2002 Césars, Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain won Best Film, Best Director, Best Score and Best Production Design. It was also nominated in nine other categories, including Best Original Screenplay and Audrey Tautou for Best Actress in a Leading Role. At the 2001 European Film Awards, the film won in four categories: Best European Film, Best Director, Best Cinematography, and the Jameson Audience Award for Best Director. Audrey Tautou was also nominated for Best Actress. The film was nominated for an Oscar in 2002 in the five categories Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Sound, but did not prevail in any of the categories. The film received good reviews both in France and internationally. The film did not enter the official competition at the 2001 Cannes International Film Festival, as Gilles Jacob, who was responsible for the film selection, said he found it "uninteresting". This caused a major public debate, as the rejection was interpreted in many places as a contradiction to the great media interest in the film and as a decision "against the audience". Jean-Pierre Jeunet reacted to the rejection by bringing forward the film's theatrical release. Amélie now ran parallel to the ongoing festival. Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain (2001) grossed 140 million US dollars worldwide, 33 million of which in the USA.
Sources: Wikipedia (Dutch and German), and IMDb.
And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.
For everyone, it's just a rose.
But only for us
A symbol of things that others won't do.
A symbol of the inviolability of our internal connection
A symbol of devotion, pain, love and passion
As black as our souls....
Yes... it's just a rose.
[T]wo enemy transport vessels under escort of two light naval vessels ... were attacked and sunk. None of the Japanese ships suffered any damage': so ran a Japanese report of a naval engagement which took place 500 kilometres off the south coast of Java on 4 March 1942. This rather sparse entry in a Japanese log relates to the fate of the Grimsby class sloop, HMAS Yarra, and the small convoy she was ordered to escort to Australia after the collapse of Allied resistance in Singapore. The first week of March 1942 was disastrous for the British and Australian navies, with the loss of over twenty ships. When we remember the fierce naval battles of late 1941 and 1942, the story of HMAS Yarra is often lost against the destruction of the British capital ships Prince of Wales and Repulse and Australia's Perth, Sydney and Vampire. Here we remember Yarra's short but dramatic history in Australia's Second World War.
016263
Grimsby class sloop, HMAS Yarra II, sunk by Japanese naval forces on 4 March 1942. Photograph taken while on operations in the Persian Gulf, August 1941.
AWM 016263
Commissioned in 1936, the lightly armed sloop of 1,080 tons was commanded by Lieutenant Commander W. H. Harrington. Yarra spent the early part of war in Australian waters. But in August 1940 she left for the Middle East where she undertook patrol and escort duties. The following year Yarra escorted a convoy from Bombay to the Persian Gulf and took part in campaigns against Iraq and Iran. While in the Mediterranean as part of the Red Sea Force the Yarra was subject to high-level bombing from Italian aircraft. The bombing proved ineffective and after months of anticipation the sudden excitement bolstered the crews' spirits. Harrington remarked:
The morale of the ship's company is very high, due partly to their interest being maintained by the fairly frequent opportunity of firing the guns ... I fear that some do not land even when they could do so in case they should miss an air raid.
The novelty of battle did not last. While escorting convoys from Alexandria to beleaguered forces at Tobruk, Yarra encountered the more experienced Luftwaffe. On 7 December 1941, 35 aircraft including dive-bombers launched a fierce attack. Although Yarra escaped with minor damage, the deadly intensity of the war was brought home to the crew. Only a week earlier HMAS Parramatta lost 138 of her crew after being torpedoed and sunk by a U-boat while on the Alexandria-Tobruk run.
With the outbreak of war with Japan, hostilities drew close to Australian waters. On 9 December Yarra sailed for duties in the Java Sea, in what was known as the ABDA area - the combined Australian, British, Dutch and American theatre in south-east Asia. Here she carried out escort and patrol duties and on 5 February, while under attack, rescued 1800 men off the burning troopship Empress of Asia. Harrington commended his crew on their performance, but singled out Acting Leading Seaman Ronald 'Buck' Taylor, for special mention. Taylor, he wrote, deserved commendation because 'on this occasion, as on many others, he controlled his gun with judgement and determination. The rating's keenness and courage are a good example to all those in his vicinity'. Following the rescue, 36-year-old Lieutenant Commander Robert W. Rankin took over as captain, replacing Harrington whom went on to achieve the rank of Vice Admiral and later Chief of Naval Staff (1962-65).
P00871.004
Lieutenant Commander Robert William Rankin RAN, lost in the sinking of HMAS Yarra on 4 March 1942.
AWM P00871.004
Japanese success in the Battle of the Java Sea on 27 February dashed any lingering hope that allied forces might stop the invasion of Java. Allied command ordered all remaining British auxiliary craft to leave Batavia. A flotilla of Australian corvettes made the hazardous journey home. By 10 March, HMAS Ballarat, Bendigo, Burnie, Goulburn, Maryborough, Toowoomba, Wollongong were safely moored in Fremantle Harbour. The Yarra would not be so fortunate.
On 2 March Yarra and the Indian sloop HMIS Jumna escorted a convoy to Tjilatjap on Java's south coast. But prowling Japanese forces made the harbour too dangerous to enter. Instead, Jumna was ordered to Colombo; Yarra was ordered to escort the depot ship Anking, the tanker Francol and the motor minesweeper MMS 51 on a longer and more perilous journey to Fremantle. There was not time to lose. Steaming steadily south-east at an economical speed of 8.5 knots, the Yarra and her convoy made good progress during the night of 2-3 March. In the morning she came across survivors from two lifeboats from the Dutch merchant ship Parigi - sunk two days earlier - and took them aboard. During the day there was little sign of the enemy, save for the distant appearance of reconnaissance aircraft in the evening.
The 'glorious sunrise' of 4 March soon revealed the topmasts of a squadron of Japanese heavy cruisers steaming in from the north-east. Led by Admiral Kondo, the squadron consisted of Atago, Takao and Maya, each armed with ten 8-inch guns, and two destroyers, Arashi and Nowaki. As G. Hermon Gill, official historian of the RAN in the Second World War, put it: 'Yarra's clanging alarm rattles struck a chill to the hearts of men who were hoping to be in Australia within four days'. Rankin immediately made a sighting report, ordered the other ships to scatter and laid smoke in a vain attempt to aid the escape of his convoy. He then turned Yarra and prepared to engage.
Yarra's guns, consisting of three 4-inch anti-aircraft guns, four 3-pounder guns, a quadruple .5-inch anti aircraft machine-gun, were no match for three of the most powerful ships in the Japanese fleet. Outgunned and out-ranged, no ship could escape the attack. The cruisers opened fire while remaining outside Yarra's range. Anking sank in less than 10 minutes with the loss of one officer and 25 ratings. The crew of MMS.51 took scuttling action and abandoned ship before close range pom-pom fire finally sent the vessel to the bottom. Francol took heavy punishment from a circling destroyer and remained afloat until 7.30am, almost one hour after the first attack. Yarra continued firing, despite listing heavily to port and drifting helplessly after shells destroyed the engine room and steering. Just minutes after Rankin gave the order to abandon ship he was killed when an 8-inch salvo destroyed the bridge. Blasted beyond recognition by constant shelling and bombing from the cruiser's aircraft, Yarra finally sank at 8.00am following a barrage of close-range fire from the destroyers. In a final act of defiance, Ronald Taylor ignored Rankin's final command, manned a 4-inch mount, and continued firing as the ship sank.
Survivors of HMS Stronghold, sunk two days earlier, looked on from the cruiser Maya. One man reported:
The Yarra was the only ship left afloat ... The two destroyers were circling Yarra which appeared to be stationary, and were pouring fire into her. She was still firing back as we could see odd gun flashes ... The last we saw of Yarra was a high column of smoke, but we were vividly impressed by her fight.
Perhaps the gun flashes they saw came from Taylor, still operating the only functional gun. The scene must have been even more poignant for Yarra's 34 survivors (from a complement of 151), who watched her last moments from two Carley floats. As the Japanese made off to the northeast a destroyer paused to collect one of two boats of survivors from Francol, but left more that 100 men scattered widely over the area. The other group of men was never heard of again.
That evening, in fading light, a passing Dutch vessel, Tawali, rescued 57 officers and ratings from Anking's life-boat, but failed to sight the other floats. Two days later on 7 March, a passing Dutch steamer Tjimanoek picked up the 14 survivors from MMS 51 and took them to Fremantle. Meanwhile, the men of the Yarra faired much worse. With just 9 litres of water and a tin of biscuits to share, the men set a course for Christmas Island, some 500 kilometres away. Of the 34 who survived attack, 21 perished on the rafts from wounds, exposure and thirst. Survivor Bill Witheriff recalled the experience: 'During those five days all except thirteen of us went either mad, died of exhaustion or [the] sharks had a meal ... .Poor old Charlie just couldn't take it and after three days went silly through drinking salt water and finally jumped over the side'.
On 9 March, the Dutch submarine KII, on her way to Ceylon, picked up the sloop's 13 survivors. Australia waited another two weeks before learning if there were any survivors from Yarra, when Admiral Geoffrey Layton of the Royal Navy signalled news of KII's arrival in Colombo. Writing to his family, Witheriff told of the excitement surrounding their arrival:
On arrival at Colombo we were local heroes and so we were well looked after by the authorities who could not do enough for us and after particulars being taken and cables forwarded to you we were sent to the Australian General Hospital to be looked after ... Here we found many friends, and nurses looked after us and waited on us ... and so you can see we are quite contented where we are and really don't want to leave.'
From the moment the crew of HMAS Yarra saw Admiral Kondo's squadron they must have known their ship was doomed. Rankin, all his officers, and most of his crew died defending the convoy they had been ordered to escort. Rankin had few options, but his decision to engage and not attempt to escape or surrender is widely regarded as one of the bravest acts in Australian naval history.
The loss of HMAS Yarra and her convey was certainly not the greatest loss suffered by the RAN during the Second World War, nor was it of great strategic significance. But for the RAN and the Australian public, the dramatic loss of Yarra confirmed the growing perception of the Japanese as a formidable and ruthless enemy. At that moment, Australia seemed more vulnerable and exposed than it did at any other time in the war. Like the bombing of northern Australia, the sinking of HMAS Yarra was one of many events in early 1942 that helped dispel the illusion of Australia's inviolability.
Sources and further reading:
[1] Chris Coulthard-Clark, The encyclopaedia of Australia's battles, Sydney, Allen & Unwin, 2001.
[2] Peter Dennis et al., The Oxford companion to Australian military history, Oxford University Press, Melbourne, 1995.
[3] G. Hermon Gill, Royal Australian Navy 1939-1942, Canberra, Australian War Memorial, 1957.
[4] A.F. Parry, HMAS Yarra: the story of a gallant ship, Sydney, Angus & Robertson, 1944.
[5] Greg Swindon, "Their Finest Hour": the story of Leading Seaman Ron Taylor and the loss of HMAS Yarra, 4 March 1942, Naval Historical Society of Australia, 1996.
www.cagnz.org/what-must-i-do-to-be-saved.html
What Must I Do to Be Saved and Enter God’s Kingdom?
By Cindy, United states
I believe that all followers of God want to attain salvation and enter into God’s kingdom so that they may enjoy the blessings of the heavenly kingdom. But how can we actually do that? There are probably quite a few brothers and sisters who would respond, “The Lord Jesus Himself redeemed us on the cross, absolving us of all of our sins, so in His eyes we are no longer sinners. As long as we follow the Lord Jesus, keep reading the Bible, praying, going to church, and diligently doing the Lord’s work, when He returns we’ll be completely saved and we’ll enter God’s kingdom.”
Pray to God, What Must I Do to Be Saved
Just like everyone else, I used to think that too, but I recently encountered a brother who was spreading the gospel that the Lord has already returned. I explored this issue of getting into the kingdom with him and then realized that most Christians’ understanding of this isn’t in line with the truth. What we live out has not yet reached the standard for being fully saved. Now I’d like to share some fellowship on a bit of my own understanding. Even though we have accepted the Lord Jesus redemption and our sins have been absolved, that doesn’t mean we’ve been fully saved or that we’re qualified to enter into the kingdom of God. That’s because the root of our sin is still there, and we are often stuck living within our corrupt dispositions. For example, we may give some things up or expend a bit, we may help bring some people before God, and then we feel that we’ve really worked hard and have achieved something great, that we are very devoted to God. We think that this should be our ticket to get into the kingdom of heaven. However, when we see that obtaining these blessings doesn’t seem like it’s in the foreseeable future we feel downcast and disappointed, or we may even feel that there’s no point in following God. We lose our motivation to expend ourselves for Him. From this, it’s clear that our efforts for God are just transactional; we are not genuinely devoted to Him. We see nonbelievers eating nice food and wearing nice clothing, driving a fancy car and living in a big house, while we don’t have much time to go out and earn money because we’re busy working for the church, so our material pleasures don’t measure up to theirs. We feel envious, we feel jealous, and sometimes we’re weakened and fall into passivity. This shows us that our perspectives on things and values in life still haven’t changed, that the things we actually love aren’t the truth or life, but are fame, gain, status, and fleshly pleasures. We harbor these corrupt dispositions within us—they are all contrary to the truth, and they are incompatible with what the Lord requires. How could we possibly be fully saved this way? God said, “You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45), “Truly, truly, I say to you, Whoever commits sin is the servant of sin. And the servant stays not in the house for ever: but the son stays ever” (John 8:34–35). God’s words show us that God is holy, and those who have not been purified absolutely cannot enter His kingdom. This is determined by God’s righteous disposition. How could people like us who are constantly sinning be qualified to enter into God’s kingdom? If we want to be fully saved and get into His kingdom, we must cast off our corrupt dispositions, be cleansed, achieve obedience to God, and love Him. This is the only way for us to really be saved and be able to enter His kingdom.
At this point in our fellowship, I think everyone can acknowledge that the root of our sinfulness is still deeply entrenched, and that we haven’t achieved purification. So then how can we rid ourselves of our corrupt dispositions and attain full salvation so we can enter the kingdom of God? Actually, the Lord Jesus gave us some prophecies long ago, “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come” (John 16:12–13). “And if any man hear My words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejects Me, and receives not My words, has one that judges him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:47–48). It’s clear from these prophecies that the Lord Jesus is going to return and do another step of work—the work of judgment. He’s also going to express all the truths that we don’t understand. As long as we accept God’s work of judgment in the last days, put the truth into practice, are cleansed of our corrupt dispositions, and live out a true human likeness, ultimately we can be fully saved and raptured into the kingdom of heaven. This is because the Lord Jesus’ work of redemption wasn’t the end-time work of ridding us of sin, but was paving the way for His work in the last days. The work of redemption just absolved us of our sins, but our sinful nature remains within us. This is why the Lord needs to do a step of the work of judgment. Just as it says in God’s words, “Though Jesus did much work among man, He only completed the redemption of all mankind and became man’s sin offering, and did not rid man of all his corrupt disposition. Fully saving man from the influence of Satan not only required Jesus to take on the sins of man as the sin offering, but also required God to do greater work to completely rid man of his disposition, which has been corrupted by Satan. And so, after man was forgiven his sins, God has returned to flesh to lead man into the new age, and begun the work of chastisement and judgment, and this work has brought man into a higher realm. All those who submit under His dominion shall enjoy higher truth and receive greater blessings. They shall truly live in the light, and shall gain the truth, the way, and the life.”
So then how can God’s work of judgment in the last days achieve the transformation and purification of human beings? Let’s take a look at a passage of God’s words, and then we’ll understand. God says, “In the last days, Christ uses a variety of truths to teach man, expose the essence of man, and dissect his words and deeds. These words comprise various truths, such as man’s duty, how man should obey God, how man should be loyal to God, how man ought to live out the normal humanity, as well as the wisdom and the disposition of God, and so on. These words are all directed at the essence of man and his corrupt disposition. In particular, those words that expose how man spurns God are spoken in regard to how man is an embodiment of Satan and an enemy force against God. In undertaking His work of judgment, God does not simply make clear the nature of man with just a few words; He exposes, deals with, and prunes over the long term. These methods of exposure, dealing, and pruning cannot be substituted with ordinary words, but with the truth that man does not possess at all. Only methods of this kind are deemed judgment; only through judgment of this kind can man be subdued and thoroughly convinced into submission to God, and moreover gain true knowledge of God. What the work of judgment brings about is man’s understanding of the true face of God and the truth about his own rebelliousness. The work of judgment allows man to gain much understanding of the will of God, of the purpose of God’s work, and of the mysteries that are incomprehensible to him. It also allows man to recognize and know his corrupt substance and the roots of his corruption, as well as to discover the ugliness of man. These effects are all brought about by the work of judgment, for the substance of this work is actually the work of opening up the truth, the way, and the life of God to all those who have faith in Him. This work is the work of judgment done by God.”
God’s words tell us that in the last days, He has expressed many aspects of the truth, judging and exposing our satanic natures and essences, plus the truth of our corruption as human beings who resist God. He exposes and dissects the root of our sinfulness, revealing to us God’s righteous, holy, and inviolable disposition. Through the judgment of God’s words, we can see how deeply we’ve been corrupted by Satan: We’re arrogant, selfish, despicable, crooked, and deceitful. We do not love the truth, and though we believe in God we do not honor Him as great. We’re unable to truly submit to Him or love Him, and when we encounter trials we complain to Him or even deny and betray Him. We don’t live out a true human likeness. Once we see all these things we start to despise ourselves and truly repent to God. We become willing to accept God’s judgment and chastisement; we pursue the truth and a change in disposition in accordance with God’s words. Then we can gradually cast off the binds and the strictures of our satanic, corrupt natures, thoroughly forsake Satan, and turn toward God. This is how we can resolve our internal sinful nature from its very root. In addition, through God’s judgment and chastisement we come to know God’s righteous disposition and holy essence; we understand God’s earnest, kind intentions in saving us, and His genuine love, and we develop a heart of reverence for God. We become willing to obey God’s orchestrations and arrangements. As our understanding of God gradually deepens, the truth starts to take hold within our hearts and God’s words become the very foundation of our survival, our guide in all things. Then we begin to live relying on God’s words. This is how we can live out a human likeness, fully cast off the binds and strictures of our satanic, corrupt natures, be cleansed, and attain full salvation.
That brother I met also shared his own personal experience with me. He used to believe that since he had been a believer for years, he had given things up, expended himself, and worked hard for the Lord, that he was already a person who loved and submitted to God. But by undergoing God’s judgment and chastisement he finally realized that although on the outside it appeared that he was able to make sacrifices and work really hard for the Lord, when he did more than his coworkers did he’d elevate himself, show off, keep count of all of the sheep he brought into the flock, of all the work he did. He saw that what he had contributed was in fact just an effort to cheat God and conduct a transaction with Him. He wanted to exchange his paltry contribution for God’s great blessings, so that he could be rewarded and get into the kingdom of heaven. That was not true submission to God, and it particularly wasn’t true love for God. Through the judgment and the revelations of God’s words, this brother finally saw that he was not someone who loves and obeys God, and that he was always living within his satanic disposition. He wasn’t remotely living out a human likeness. And through God’s judgment, chastisement, trials, and refinement, he also came to recognize God’s almightiness and omniscience, and that God scrutinizes the bottoms of people’s hearts; he really felt that God’s righteous disposition will tolerate no offense from mankind, and so he developed a heart of reverence for and submission to God. He lost no time prostrating himself and truly repenting to God. Gradually, he experienced a bit of change in his life disposition. All of this was the fruit of undergoing God’s judgment and chastisement.
At this point in our fellowship I trust that everyone has gained some clarity on how we can be fully saved to enter into God’s kingdom. If we only accept the Lord Jesus’ work of redemption, we still won’t achieve dispositional change. We must also accept God’s work of judgment in the last days, undergo the judgment and chastisement of God’s words, and accept the truth as our lives. Then we can achieve transformation in our corrupt dispositions, come to be obedient to God and love Him, and be compatible with Him. This is being thoroughly saved to gain entrance into God’s kingdom.
Image Source: Daily Devotionals
Source from: Daily Devotionals
Day two of the eviction, November 8, 2017. On November 7, 2017, on a cold winter day, a family was evicted from their home in Bucharest the a property belonging to the Romanian Orthodox Church. As with all the evictions lately documented by us (Passport Productions), the legal terms were yet again not respected, especially the inviolability of the domicile.
My first go at Arabic calligraphy :D)
Akhi – ‘My Brother’
THE MESSENGER OF ALLAH (saw) SAID: “A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. He neither oppresses him nor humiliates him nor looks down upon him. The piety is here, (and while saying so) he pointed towards his chest thrice. It is a serious evil for a Muslim that he should look down upon his brother Muslim. All things of a Muslim are inviolable for his brother in faith; his blood, his wealth and his honor.” Sahih Muslim
© Enam Choudhury Design & Photography 2014
The swoop of the dune, like the contour of a body, invites the viewer into its world while retaining a sense of inviolability. Anything that happens here will be wiped away by the wind.
Lietuvos Nepriklausomybės Atkūrimo Diena!
(Anniversary of the Day of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania)
▶ On 11 March 1990, the Supreme Council of the Republic of Lithuania, by unanimous vote, reasserted Lithuania's national independence. Illegally occupied by the USSR since June 1940 (and by Nazi Germany during WWII), Lithuania was the first so-called Soviet Republic to declare its independence.
▶ Read more: YFGF.
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▶ "Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Lithuania, On Restoring the Independence of the Lithuanian State.
March 11, 1990
Expressing the will of the people, the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Lithuania resolves and solemnly proclaims that the sovereign rights of the Lithuanian State, which were violated by a foreign power in 1940, are restored and that henceforth Lithuania is again an independent state.
The Lithuanian Council’s Feb. 16, 1918, Act on Independence and the Constituent Seimas May 15, 1920, Resolution on the Restoration of the Democratic Lithuanian State never lost legal force and are the constitutional foundation of the Lithuanian State.
The territory of the Lithuanian State is integral and indivisible, and no other state’s constitution is in effect therein.
The Lithuanian State stresses its commitment to generally recognized principles of international law, recognizes the inviolability of borders as codified in the Final Act of the Helsinki Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, adopted in 1978, and guarantees the rights of the individual, the citizen and national communities.
With this act, the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Lithuania, as the exponent of sovereign will, begins the realization of full sovereignty for the State.
V. Landsbergis, Chairman of the Supreme Soviet, Republic of Lithuania.
L. Sabutis, Secretary of the Supreme Soviet. Vilnius, March 11, 1990."
—Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublikos Seimas)
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▶ 11 March is the second of three 'independence' days for Lithuania.
▶ The first, celebrated on 16 February, commemorates the day in 1918 that the Council of Lithuania declared the nation to be free and independent. It had been occupied by Czarist Russia for two hundred years (and by Germany during World War I).
▶ The third 'independence' day is Statehood Day, celebrated on July 6 to commemorate the coronation in 1253 of Mindaugas as the first and only King of Lithuania, and thus the date of the creation of the (European) nation of Lithuania.
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▶ Image uploaded (and story) by Yours For Good Fermentables.com.
▶ For a larger image, type 'L' (without the quotation marks).
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Kala
Në hyemje t’haremit
ma të msheftë t’zemrës
haremit ku pulson
nuri
ashku…
e ku në thellësi
diku mbas nji a dy dyerve
asht haremi i pafjalë
i Zotit,
aty jetojnë
fisnikt’ e zemrës tem
dashnitë
hallakama
vuejtja e qetësia,
tana!
Në hyemje t’haremit
ma të msheftë t’zemrës
haremit ku pulson
ndjeshmëria
aty s’hyn insan
s’hapen dyert
as prej brendshmi as prej jashtmi
pos kur çelsin e kanë…
po ti, ku e more?
po ti, qysh hyne?
16 korrik ‘22
• Shënim: Harem, fjalë qi zakonisht aludon në vendin ku banojnë gratë. Ama, rranja e fjalës harem në gjuhet semitike h-r-m, sjell fjalën haram qi ka kuptimin e të ndaluemes. Në mënyrë të çuditshme, rranja e njajtë në arabisht ka kuptimin e sakrales. Kujto “mesxhidil haramin”, fjalën e shpisë së Zotit apo Mekken. Pra, haremi rrjedh prej fjalës arabe “harim” qi don me thanë nji vend i pacenuem sakral; harem, gratë e nji familjeje.
———
In the entrance of
the most hidden harem of my heart
the harem where
light and love pulsates
where deep within
somewhere behind a door or two
is the silent harem
of God
there live nobles of my heart
the loves,
the chaos,
the pain and silence,
everything and all.
In the entrance of
the most hidden harem of my heart
the harem where
sensitivity pulsates
no human being enters there
no doors open for anyone
neither from within
nor from without
but only when they already have
the key…
you,
where did you get it?
you,
how did you enter it?
16 june ‘22
• Note: Harem, a word which usually alludes to the women’s quarter; however, its root meaning in semitic languages H-R-M, comes to mean the forbidden (recall the word haram in arabic, the prohibited acts). Strangely enough, the same word with the same root in Arabic means sacredness. Recall, “Masjidul Harâm” (a name of the house of God, Mekka). So, harem comes from the Arabic ḥarīm, which can mean "a sacred inviolable place"; “harem”, “female members of the family".
ppc agency
Zimbabwe's opposition leader calls on Mugabe to step down
Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has asked President Robert Mugabe to resign immediately followed by free and fair elections, while sources said Mugabe was meeting African envoys in Harare and resisting the army's pressure to give up power.
"The crucial point to resolve this crisis in Zimbabwe is a complete return to legitimacy and full civilian rule," he told reporters in his first public comments since the army seized power and put Mugabe under house arrest.
Tsvangirai, who returned to Zimbabwe a day after staying at a hospital in South Africa, called for a "transition mechanism involving all parties" and for the elections.
He said his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) praised "the assurances, commitment to peace and the inviolability of human life by the Zimbabwe Defense Forces."
"We support the movement of the army, but the country must quickly return to constitutional rule," Secretary General of the Movement Douglas Munzora told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.
"What we need now is a government capable of leading Zimbabwe until it is time for elections," said former minister Didimos Motasa.
Intelligence reports indicate that Emerson Manganagua, who was sacked by Mugabe this month as vice president, has been setting a post-Mugabe vision with the military and the opposition for more than a year.
Motasa was sacked in late 2014 with Vice President Joyce Muguru. Morgan Tsvangirai was also banned from office in 2008, when Mugabe swore that "God alone can remove him from power," which plunged the country into a wave of violence before Tsvangirai temporarily appointed Mugabe.
Meanwhile, an intelligence source told Reuters on Thursday that Mugabe insists he is still the country's only legitimate ruler and is resisting the mediation of a Catholic priest to leave power quietly after the military coup.
The source said Rev. Fidelis Mukonori was mediating between Mugabe and military leaders who seized power on Wednesday in an operation targeting what they described as "criminals" around the president.
Mugabe, his wife Grace and two senior figures of her political wing "G40" are under house arrest in Mugabe's Blue House compound in Harare.
A source who spoke to people inside the compound said the two members of the political G-40 wing were ministers Jonathan Moyo and Saffior Kasukwere, who fled to the compound after their homes were attacked by troops on Tuesday evening.coup
For his part, warned Guinean President Alpha Kondi, who currently chairs the African Union that the Union would not accept the "military coup" in Zimbabwe, calling for the return of constitutional order to this country.
Condi stressed today the need to "find a political solution to these internal problems within the presidential party, not through the intervention of the army," explaining that he "did not contact" immediately after President Mugabe.
Earlier, the African Union described Zimbabwe as a coup. "The Zimbabwean army has told a number of regional leaders that its move to take power from President Mugabe was not a coup,
"We want to reassure the people that the president is safe and unharmed," said his spokesman, Sibiso Moyo. "We target the criminals surrounding him (the president) who have caused social suffering and economic problems."
But the manifestations of the coup are clear in the opinion of observers in the streets of the capital Harare, the army clearly controls the situation, while the next steps remain vague.
Source: Agencies
20 January 2013 – A meeting of nine Afghan journalist associations and media rights groups announced today in Kabul the formation of an umbrella media body to ensure freedom of expression as enshrined in the Constitution of Afghanistan and defend rights of journalists in the country.
The organizers told a news conference that the establishment of the Afghanistan Journalists’ Federation (AJF) would strengthen democracy, independence of media and defend the rights of journalists.
The Federation aims to support independence of speech, ensure access to information and capacity building of media institutions, improve laws relating to media activities, establish connections with the international media organizations and defend the rights of journalists in Afghanistan, said founding members of the first such media body of Afghanistan.
“For the last four years, journalists associations and watchdog organizations have been negotiating for better coordination and joint efforts, which eventually resulted in the establishment of an umbrella organization called the Afghanistan Journalists’ Federation,” said Akhpalwak Safi, a member of the Federation and the Executive Director of the National Association of Journalists.
Article 34 of the Afghan Constitution has guaranteed the freedom of expression by saying this is “inviolable”.
The Federation will soon develop a two-year action plan to respond to the needs and concerns of journalist community in Afghanistan
Mr. Safi explained that the Federation would be centrally managed through a board comprised of nine members — one each from the nine founding member organizations.
The decisions of the board shall be endorsed after a vote of confidence by majority of the members. Six out of nine members should agree with the decision through their vote of confidence and at least seven members should be present at every meeting to complete the quorum.
Abdul Hameed Mobarez, a founding member of the Federation and Chairman of Afghanistan National Journalists’ Union (ANJU), said the Federation had been formed based on the principles of democracy. “I hope it will help institutionalize democracy and promote freedom of speech in the country,” said Mr. Mobarez.
Photo: UNAMA / Fardin Waezi
Article 1
(1) Human dignity shall be inviolable. To respect and protect it shall be
the duty of all state authority.
(2) The German people therefore acknowledge inviolable and inalienable
human rights as the basis of every community, of peace and of justice
in the world.
(3) The following basic rights shall bind the legislature, the executive and
the judiciary as directly applicable law.