Resistance - Art For Freedom
View allAll Photos Tagged extremism
So much sadness in the world at the moment - we can light a candle, say a prayer yet the ache endures. I have no answers, only hope that extremism in any form will not win.
Red Feathers 9/11 - Painful Memories by Daniel Arrhakis (2021)
With the music : Audiomachine - When It All Falls Down
Remembering September 11 attacks, also commonly referred to as 9/11, twenty years after the tragedy ... the memories are even more painful in a world increasingly torn by religious, political and ideological extremism.
Radicalization now transposes to social networks making external threats as dangerous as internal ones, dividing peoples and threatening from within the Democracies around the world.
Religious radicalism rides on the power of world domination but also fascism and the nationalist extreme right gallop fear, doubt and the social conscience of the peoples.
Only unity, tolerance and cooperation among peoples will be able to overcome fear and mistrust through courage, knowledge and love.
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* For our Week Theme in Art Week Gallery Group - September 12 to September 18 :
*Art Week Gallery Group - Week Theme - "Shine A Light "
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In the Eye of the Storm. This spiral staircase is at the Qatar America Institute of Culture. I was there to see the "Transcendent Text" exhibition by Sabah Arbilli who uses calligraphy to express the basic human rights that the Quran cites and preaches. The works are statement against extremism. Holly Ahrens is the model in the eye!
Discussing The Peace of Nature and the Nature of Peace with my feathered friends Åse and Håvard over a cup tea ...
Moral Philosophy of Global Peace as a Supreme Ideal
Today, humankind is suffering from multidimensional crises such as terrorism,population-explosion,denial of human rights, economic inequality,racial discrimination,ideological extremism, religious intolerance,social injustice,ecological imbalance, consumerism, oppression of weak ... All are Peace-related issues and a matter of Ethics."Have you realised your role and your duties regarding Global Peace ?" They asked me ... Pause
Åse and Håvard have ... Us ? Pause ... Where are our United efforts ?
I felt embarrassed ... They had so much to teach me ... over a cup of tea and while awaiting the announcement of the Nobel Peace Prize ... They also knew the Preamble to the Constitution of UNESCO ...
"Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed ... "
♥ Always thankful for your kind visits my Flickr friend ♥
CU soon in the Oslo City Hall with the monumental large scale murals and in the Vigeland Sculpture Park where art speaks "For the Peace and Brotherhood of men".
'a' is for 'abused' ;)
Revisiting an earlier photo, where the objective was realism. Wasn't too bad, but it's not what I usually do - here the objective is extremism a.k.a. over-processing :) )) )))
Grey autumn weather, shady prospects and in all medias one horror story is following the one before. Racism, extremism, climate apocalypse or the total crash of the health system. It is not possible below that.
Yesterday, when I found this photograph from a shooting made in 2019 with my princess on my computer, I spontaneously had the urgent need to change my focus rapidly. To do that, I didn’t have to do anything but to look at my wonderful daughter.
Happyness, love, harmony, the wish to explore the world and really to live, to have lustily and loud laughing until the entire body is aching and You can't breath anymore or simply by remaining in a close hug assimilating the closeness with the other. This and so much more is, what she is radiating for me, on every single day.
Life is beautiful. Beautiful and precious. To live with each other and for each other no matter what is written in the news. Thank you Lilly.
Graues Herbstwetter, düstere Aussichten und in allen Medien jagd eine Horrormeldung die nächste. Rassismus, Extremismus, Klimaapokalypse oder der Zusammenbruch des Gesundheitssystems. Unter dem geht nichts mehr.
Als ich gestern dieses Foto von einem shooting von 2019 mit meiner Prinzessin auf dem Computer gefunden habe, hatte ich spontan das dringende Bedürfnis den Fokus drastisch zu verändern. Und dafür brauche ich nichts anderes tun als meine wundervolle Tochter anzusehen.
Freude, Liebe, Harmonie, der Wunsch die Welt zu entdecken und wirklich zu leben, herzhaftes und lautes Lachen bis der ganze Körper schmerzt und du nicht mehr atmen kannst oder einfach in einer innigen Umarmung verharren und die Nähe des Anderen in sich aufnehmen. Das alles und noch so viel mehr strahlt sie für mich aus, an jedem einzelnen Tag.
Das Leben ist schön. Schön und wertvoll. Das Leben miteinander und für einander. Ganz gleich, was in der Zeitung steht. Danke Lilly.
more of this on my website at: www.shoot-to-catch.de
The annual commemoration of victims of the Second World War always takes place here on 4 May.
The current rise of right-wing extremism makes it even more necessary to commemorate these people again this year. During this commemoration we can also consider all the other victims of war and violence, anywhere in the world.
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Op 4 mei vindt hier altijd de jaarlijkse herdenking van slachtoffers van de Tweede Wereldoorlog plaats.
De huidige opkomst van rechts-extremisme maakt het extra noodzakelijk om ook dit jaar weer deze mensen te herdenken. Ook kunnen wij tijdens deze herdenking stilstaan bij alle andere slachtoffers van oorlog en geweld, waar ook ter wereld.
Petals And Candles For Nice By Daniel Arrhakis (2020)
With the Music/Chant : Kyrie Eleison · Dan Gibson's Solitudes /
Illumination: Peaceful Gregorian Chants
My special tribute to the innocent victims of a barbaric attack at a church in Nice, France.
Victims of religious extremism and intolerance that reigns in our times and which unfortunately is often encouraged by religious extremists and unscrupulous politicians.
Mon hommage très spécial aux victimes innocentes de l'attaque barbare de Nice, France. Victimes de l'extrémisme religieux et de l'intolérance qui règnent à notre époque et qui malheureusement sont souvent favorisées par des extrémistes religieux et politiques sans scrupules.
© Image created by Daniel Arrhakis, commercially use is not Allowed.
The American Dream Spirit - Beyond The Moon by Daniel Arrhakis (2018)
With the music : Ivan Torrent - The Power Of Will
I dedicate this work to all my American friends!
The Spirit of Freedom and Democracy that so inspired the Founders of America, is the same that inspired so many other peoples throughout the world and it is this same spirit of courage and hope in a Better World that must unite us all once again to fight again the contemporary obscurantism and the extremism that threatens the Freedom and Cohesion of Peoples!
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Thank you for your kind visit, comments and invitations these last days dear friends !
Trying catching up during next days and weekend !
© Leanne Boulton, All Rights Reserved
Captured somewhat candidly at 'Daks over Prestwick' in May 2019. A dozen DC-3 and C-47 aircraft were on display during a stopover on their way from the US to D-Day celebrations in France.
Today, 5th May 2025, starts a 4 day celebration in the UK commemorating the 80th anniversary of VE Day (Victory in Europe Day).
We must never forget the sacrifice of a generation. Risking, and too often losing, their lives in the fight against fascism and tyranny. A fight that, thankfully, the democratic world won.
More important that never forgetting those brave men and women, we must NEVER forget the reason for which they were called upon to make that sacrifice.
Far right politics has been normalised and mainstreamed by media in the Western world over the past few years and has, therefore, gained popularity. Far right parties have been elected and authoritarian fascist policies are being enacted. All the while it is normalised by the absence of scrutiny in the billionaire owned media, the same billionaires financially backing such politics around the world.
None of this is normal. Deporting and incarcerating people without charge, stifling the free press, attacking science and universities and scapegoating minorities - these are all straight out of the fascist playbook. They are happening now.
We even have left wing political parties swinging towards the hard right to appease the populist far right movement.
This is obscene. No good comes from political extremism, either right or left, only suffering.
Stop blaming immigrants, trans people, the poor and the disabled for the world's ills. That is where the billionaires and politicians want you to point the finger. Ask yourself why? Why do they want you to look elsewhere?
Don't let fascism and tyranny rule your lives once more. Learn from the past. Rise up. Fight against it. Legally. Justly. Peacefully. Do that before it takes an army and more needless death to bring peace and prosperity to all.
Lest we forget.
this series "dtv" is shot entirely from the tv set. a few are cropped
from PBS NewsHour about the Muslim Faith. it is not meant to be political. it was a segment about groups that help people caught up in the extremism of the religion
language changes every 12 miles so it makes sense that religions all over the world are so different. i am hardly one to judge. this program was about extreme sharia law and how it is practiced and it was very "extreme" in some places.
Salem Witch Hysteria..1692. Due to intolerance and isolationism, religious extremism, accusations, and lapses in due process of the law, the hysteria swept through Massachusetts. More than 200 were accused, of which 19 were hanged here in Salem.. Since the hysteria was carried out under the guise of religionious indifference, I used the Witch Museum window from an earlier image, flic.kr/p/2gqVdoz, as a metaphor for the false imprisonment, an image of the witch from a past Haunted Happenings...some layers, blending, and masking to get the image.
During one of the rapidly increasing manifestations 'defend democracy', denouncing right-wing extremism, after revelations of fascist fantasies by some of this country's nutters. May it stay with the nutters, the world deserves better.
This wonderful tree top exceeded my expectations when massaged to reflect an emotion; Warmth, comfort, steadfastness, with a reliance on health and time to resolve our dilemmas.
Ahh but dilemmas require dialog, decision, action, and consequences. We will move to be like a perfectly proportioned tree who knows not of compromise or extremism. It just knows growth and prosperity or decline and oblivion.
Cologne is colourful - Demonstration against racism and xenophobia in Cologne - 21.01.2024 / Deutz / Cologne / North Rhine-Westphalia / Germany
Please have a look at my albums:
this series "dtv" is shot entirely from the tv set. many are cropped
from PBS NewsHour about the Muslim Faith. it is not meant to be political. it was a segment about groups that help people caught up in the extremism of the religion
The family of Bromeliaceae is outrageous... its colors and shapes beyond reason and logic. Over the top!
If a painter truly reproduced their colors on a canvas, viewers would accuse him or her of extremism, of taking poetic license.
Bromeliads are easy to grow, requiring nothing more than a little water in their center cup. I prop them up wherever I can. Yes, prop up because they don't need soil except to keep their center upright and full. The nectar of many of this family is quite fragrant and attracts many hummingbirds with their high tech sounds and seemingly wingless flight... wings beating faster than the eye can see!
Bromeliads... easy to grow but not painless to plant and tend, requiring thick pants and heavy gloves to prevent painful flesh tears from their hooked serrated edges. Everything has a downside and Bromeliads are well worth it! I celebrate their glories each day. Bromeliaceae's most familiar member is Pineapple.
Aechmea bracteata, Fairchild Garden, Miami FL
Miami FL
this series "dtv" is shot entirely from the tv set. a few are cropped
from PBS NewsHour about the Muslim Faith. it is not meant to be political. it was a segment about groups that help people caught up in the extremism of the religion
language changes every 12 miles so it makes sense that religions all over the world are so different. i am hardly one to judge. this program was about extreme sharia law and how it is practiced and it was very "extreme" in some places.
Explore Jun23, 2020 #305
Does anyone know ID? I don't know how it got in my yard. But I'm delighted!
The family of Bromeliaceae is outrageous... its colors and shapes beyond reason and logic. Over the top!
If a painter truly reproduced their colors on a canvas, viewers would accuse him or her of extremism, of taking poetic license.
Bromeliads are easy to grow, requiring nothing more than a little water in their center cup. I prop them up wherever I can. Yes, prop up because they don't need soil except to keep their center upright and full. The nectar of many of this family is quite fragrant and attracts many hummingbirds with their high tech sounds and seemingly wingless flight... wings beating faster than the eye can see!
Bromeliads... easy to grow but not painless to plant and tend, requiring thick pants and heavy gloves to prevent painful flesh tears from their hooked serrated edges. Everything has a downside and Bromeliads are well worth it! I celebrate their glories each day. Bromeliaceae's most familiar member is Pineapple.
Biscayne Park FL
Tomorrow is Hari Raya Haji or Eid al-adha holiday for the Muslims.
With religion polarization & growing extremism, the distance between followers of different faith is getting wider. I feel glad we still receive this from my neighbor to share their joy of celebration.
Taken with an old Rikenon 50mm F2 lens
Today's "We are the firewall" manifestation against right-wing extremism.
Berlin, Feb. 3rd, 2024.
It's amazing, the protests continue!
Ongeremd mogen lezen, zeggen, denken,
Grenzeloos kunnen gaan en staan.
Vloeibaar zou ik 't willen schenken,
Tastbaar zaaien als het graan.
Weg met onderdrukking en haat!
Laat schijnen dat licht
In het duister van het kwaad.
Want ieder mens, waar ook op aard,
Is deze rijkdom meer dan waard:
Vrijheid
.
Gedicht: Jan Elemans
7-1-2015
-------------------------------------------
Als pennen moeten zwijgen
omdat anders wapens klinken,
zijn we als mensheid,
wel erg diep aan het zinken.
Heavy artillery.
Only in turn to fight intolerance, extremism and oppression.
Charly Hebdo
Parijs
this series "dtv" is shot entirely from the tv set. many are cropped
from PBS NewsHour about the Muslim Faith. it is not meant to be political. it was a segment about groups that help people caught up in the extremism of the religion
Looking across the rooftops of Paris from the top of the Arc de Triomphe, as the Eiffel Tower rises up in defiance against a coming storm.
Congratulations to France on choosing overwhelmingly to reject the politics of fear, hatred, and extremism. May your stance inspire us all.
Abgesehen von der starken Botschaft (so man sie nicht wörtlich nimmt), finde ich diese Ausstellung auch künstlerisch sehr anspruchsvoll - wer in Berlin ist, unbedingt noch hingehen (bis 16.08. auf dem Washingtonplatz vor dem Hauptbahnhof)
The Wolves Are Back
Part of a powerful exhibit titled "Are The Wolves Back?" in Berlin - a pack of bronze wolves stands for the neo-Nazis, nationalists and haters that terrorize German society so much more than the few wolf packs that are again roaming German woods (and are also controversial).
Rainer Opolka, the artist behind The Wolves Are Back says he wants to start a discussion. To him, we are getting way too used to racism and other ugly phenomenons we see in connection with the challenge of accomodating one million refugees in the country. “Many people see terrorism on TV and that makes them afraid,” says Opolka. “They don’t see the difference between the terrorists and the people who have escaped terrorism.”
The community board meeting took place in order to discuss the proposed mosque to be built next to ground zero. While the project is usually referred to as the “mosque at ground zero”, the project’s official name is the Cordoba Initiative. The Imam and the developers were in attendance to present the project, and many politicians (or rather their representatives) were on hand, along with many of those in favor or opposed.
First spoke the elected officials, who—in the typical New York political elitist fashion— slandered and insulted their opposition. Councilwoman Margaret Chin spoke before a single opponent of the mosque ever came up to the microphone to state their position, but that didn’t stop her from accusing those against it of “bigotry”.
And while Margaret Chin chose to offend the opposition to the mosque (most of whom present were families of 9-11 victims and first responders) in person, other local figures sent their cronies. A representative of Scott Stringer, President of the Borough of Manhattan, handed out a letter to everyone prior to the meeting in which he refers to the mosque as a “multi-faith community and cultural center” and claims that this “center has been the subject of bigoted attacks that contain a strain of religious and racial hatred more extreme than anything we have seen in NYC for some time.” I guess an attempt to kill hundreds of New Yorkers and tourists at Times Square by an Islamist Faisal Shahzad less than a month prior was not extreme enough for Stringer and, instead of jihadism, Stringer seems to have identified the enemy as a TEA Party leader whom he rips apart throughout this unsolicited letter. While the TEA Party’s opposition is referred to as a “bigoted agenda”, the mosque itself is referred to as a “vibrant and world-class facility in NYC which will promote tolerance and pluralism”. Of course he fails to provide any example of mosques in NYC or in the world that have EVER promoted tolerance or pluralism, but perhaps he didn’t think that any attendee would dare question his superior judgment in the matter. Please be sure to read his disgusting letter
After the political cronies spoke, Feisal Abdul Rauf', the Imam in charge of this “community center” was given time to present his proposal. He started his speech with “for many years I’ve had a dream…” (I wonder what Dr. King would have thought of a ‘grand wizard’ proposing to build a “community center” at the site of the bombed 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama). The Imam also claimed that this “community center” would promote multi-culturalism; he was so sure of it that his speech was sprinkled throughout with that deceiving phrase. But his presentation brought with it an unexpected turning point. Not because of anything he planned to share with us in his carefully prepared PC jargoned speech, but because of a question by one of the board members who wanted to know if the proposed “community center” would hold prayer. The Imam said “yes”, to which the board member replied, “then it is a house of worship, not a community center”.
Without any objection to that by the Imam or speakers that followed, the term “community center” began to very gradually disappear. But don’t think that anyone’s opinion actually changed as a result. The supporters of the project “formerly” known as a “community center” still believed that it was somehow related to diversity and that it would in no way be an insult to those who died due to Islamist ideology, nor would it serve as a monument of jihadist victory.
But neither the councilwoman nor the Imam were the most offensive or distasteful of the proponents of the mosque. Daisy Khan of the American Society for Muslim Advancement, who also happens to be Imam’s wife, blew their insults and lies out of the water. (I don’t recall her being introduced as Rauf’s wife at the meeting, but I can’t be sure.) She lectured and she yelled – yes, yelled – at the families of victims, the first responders, and her fellow New Yorkers. She yelled that she is “tired of bearing the cross [and will do so] no longer” because apparently she and the Muslim community were the real victims of the 9-11 attacks—not the families who lost their loved ones, not the cities that lost their monuments, and not the country that lost its feeling of security.
Without a single mosque destroyed and with very few anti-Muslim incidents, hearing from this woman about her supposed victimization in that auditorium was absolutely sickening. It didn’t help when for weeks after (and prior) she dominated the time on television appearing calm and together and claiming among other nonsense – I kid you not – that the reason they chose the ground zero site to build a mosque is to provide a “blow to the extremists”. I’m sure radical Muslims would just hate it if New York built a mosque on the ground where American buildings were destroyed and thousands of Americans were murdered by jihadists … right? READ HER RIDICULOUS QUOTE AGAIN. Now listen to it for yourself from the horse’s mouth because I wouldn’t have believed it either. (starts at 1:10) www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7WbTv_gsx4&playnext_from=TL&...
Other supporters of the mosque included two priests and a rabbi (no, it isn’t a start to a joke – although I wish it was) of the leftist “co-exist” variety all of whom supported the mosque. And while there were some clergy present that (judging by applause and reactions) opposed the mosque, they did not come up to the microphone. The supporting clergy seemed to have gone to the same rhetoric school as the Imam, using terms like “multi-culturalism”, “tolerance”, “community relations and understanding”, and other jargon that had no actual relevance to the topic.
There was also a Caucasian woman with a baby who introduced herself as someone who had converted to Islam … in 2006, if I’m not mistaken. She lied about how difficult it is to find information and resources on Islam in NY. I say she lied not only because there are hundreds of mosques in the 5 boroughs, but also because as a recent convert she is a prime example of someone who was able to find and act on this information. Of course, she didn’t specify why ground zero is a better location than any other for this apparently “valuable to the city” information about the religion all 911 hijackers belonged to.
Now that I have gone on and on about the supporters of the mosque (aka “community center”) and the temple’s money changers, let me talk about the opponents of a mosque being build at ground zero ... Not a single one of them opposed a mosque being built; the prevailing request was simply “build it somewhere else”.
First opponent to speak was the celebrated publisher, editor, and columnist Pamela Geller. She was the one to point out what Cordoba means to the Muslim world. Cordoba is a city in Spain that was the first major city to fall to Muslim conquerors and become an Islamic caliphate and a symbol of Islamic conquest of the West. She also called the mosque “a shrine to the very ideology that inspired 9-11”. Sure seems a lot more plausible than Daisy’s explanation for why the mosque has to overlook ground zero.
A gentleman who lost his brother in WTC and represents the largest ‘families of victims of 9-11’ groups introduced some of those present who lost loved ones at ground zero. He protested the lectures and the labels that were bestowed on these families for their “legitimate, legal opposition to this Muslim ‘multi-cultural center’”. He pointed out that while there is proposed building of this mosque at ground zero, the committees have refused to allow monuments to the tragedy of 9-11, including the WTC sphere which was heavily damaged during the terrorist attack and has become an iconic symbol of the tragedy. At this time the sphere is temporarily housed at Battery Park. “If we should honor multi-culturalism and diversity at ground zero, we should honor and remember victims of 9-11,” he concluded.
Tim Brown, a former NYC firefighter who lost dozens of his friends and colleagues, fellow first responders, to the jihadist terrorist attack, has been a tireless voice for memories of victims and their loved ones. He questioned where the money for the mosque was coming from. He had received “5 different answers on 5 different occasions from them”, which included my favorite “we don’t have to tell you, talk to our lawyers”, as well as “three different organizations, but [the Imam] refused to name them” and “from American taxpayers”. Mr. Brown also pointed out that Cordoba Initiative has been very deceiving in other ways, such as removing the word “mosque” from their web site despite the fact that they explicitly wrote initially that there will be a mosque at the top of the building (overlooking ground zero).
Questions were also raised about the Imam Rauf, his public statements, and his pro-Sharia stance as described in his publications and interviews. His travels to countries that openly support terrorism and forced Islamization of the West were also questioned and may indicate where funding from the mosque could be coming from.
Follow up note: Listening to the Imam Rauf speak to various news organizations in the days following the meeting, he offered even more non-specific answers to where the money comes from, such as it comes from people who “want to see peace between Muslims and non-Muslims”. Again, nice politically savvy keywords… but no actual answer to a rather direct question he obviously knows the answer to. Trying to hide something, Faisal Abdul?
One of the many victim’s families present was a woman with a photo of her son who was murdered by the Islamic terrorists. She didn’t yell like Daisy, the Imam’s wife, and she did not dish out insults like Congresswoman Chin. Her voice trembled as she mentioned her son’s name and held his photo towards the committee, “this is my son”, she said, “this is firefighter George Kane.” She held back tears as she spoke. She said that “the location [of the mosque] is insensitive to families. It is also insensitive to the voiceless victims the possibility that anyone who supports Islamic extremism could walk on graves of the victims … [it is] an outrage.”
Another woman spoke with a similar shaking voice about her 23-year-old son who “was murdered on September 11th”. She also wasn’t a bigot, but wanted to know “why are you suggesting that it be two blocks from ground zero?”
Mrs. Kane and the others who spoke through tears and with photos of their murdered children in their trembling hands, made me think of what they were being asked to do. Nine years later, they were being asked to “move on” or “heal”, as mosque supporters were suggesting. I can’t even begin to imagine what that ignorant request could do to an eternally grieving mother.
A sweet elderly couple’s last conversation with their son was via cell phone while he was on a hijacked plane… just before he was murdered. They mentioned that there were 20 mosques that located around the area where they lived, and that they would be ok with another one being built close to them, but they also asked for “understanding and sensitivity” when it comes to building one near ground zero.
Yet from the comments of NYC politicians and supporters of the mosque, we know that understanding and sensitivity will not be shown to the victims’ families nor reflect the wishes of voting New Yorkers. They will instead be shown to others who are apparently deemed more – not even equally but more – crucial to the future of NYC and the memories of those who perished in the terrorist attacks.
Here are a few youtube links on regarding this meeting:
Pamela Geller's full 2 minute speech from the meeting
a firefighter and first responder Tim Brown speaks A MUST SEE
Peaceful Pakistan
In the recent years Pakistan has become more and more famous for its unstable political and disastrous economical situation, for terrorism, inequality or discrimination i.e. against minorities. Nevertheless Pakistan is still one of the most beautiful and underestimated countries I have ever visited. I can ensure that not everyone in Pakistan is a terrorist or extremist nor is the country full of extremism or hatespeeches – as media illustrates or simplifies sometimes. The average Pakistani is a friendly person with whom you would like to talk and maybe drink a cup of Chai. The people I met were open minded and gave me always the opportunity to speak about problems and their daily life experiences. Pakistan has a lot of potential to grew, develop and prosper but there are still many problems to face, especially corruption or greedy politicians who do not care about their own nation but their moneybags.
I had a great time visiting the natural diversities of Pakistans landscape although I could not visit the Northern Areas of Pakistan like Karakoram or the Himalaya nor Balochistan in the West at the Irianian boarder. InshAllah the future will allow me to do so ;-)
Hereby some peaceful and personal impressions from my latest Pakistan trip in winter 2014/2015
this series "dtv" is shot entirely from the tv set. many are cropped
from PBS NewsHour about the Muslim Faith. it is not meant to be political. it was a segment about groups that help people caught up in the extremism of the religion
The meadows where yesterday's 'galaxy' shot was taken. This is a horisontal sweep panorama with the phone held vertical (in portrait mode). Processing the previous shot in Lightroom (on the PC) I aimed for realism. Editing this in Snapseed (on the phone) I aimed for painterly extremism. Just for a bit of difference :)
Chosen as cover for the 1300 Views Group October 2013.
The family of Bromeliaceae is outrageous... its colors and shapes beyond reason and logic. Over the top!
If a painter truly reproduced their colors on a canvas, viewers would accuse him or her of extremism, of taking poetic license.
Bromeliads are easy to grow, requiring nothing more than a little water in their center cup. I prop them up wherever I can. Yes, prop up because they don't need soil except to keep their center upright and full. The nectar of many of this family is quite fragrant and attracts many hummingbirds with their high tech sounds and seemingly wingless flight... wings beating faster than the eye can see!
Bromeliads... easy to grow but not painless to plant and tend, requiring thick pants and heavy gloves to prevent painful flesh tears from their hooked serrated edges. Everything has a downside and Bromeliads are well worth it! I celebrate their glories each day. Bromeliaceae's most familiar member is Pineapple.
Aechmea bracteate
Biscayne Park FL
© Leanne Boulton, All Rights Reserved
Street and social documentary photography from Glasgow, Scotland.
Captured in July 2018 where a group of far right fascists were holding a demonstration and a much larger group opposing them had gathered as a counter-protest.
I am absolutely appalled at the scenes that I have seen across media and social media channels of the far right riots and racist hate in cities around England.
Yes they are far right racist thugs. People of colour have been targeted specifically. Pulled from their cars, hounded and beaten on the streets by a mob, roadblocked and prevented from driving on their way. Two hotels housing asylum seekers were set alight. Arson with intent to endanger life. I have seen swastika tattoos, Nazi salutes and heard racist chants. They even burned a library. Nazis like burning books. Stones were thrown at Filipino nurses on their way to cover emergency shifts.
I have seen this described as 'anti-immigration protest' but these people are only concerned about immigration from non-white countries. That's racism. Call it what it is.
It's sickening. This is regression of society and social media has played a huge role in this. The algorithms that value engagement lend themselves to divisive issues being promoted. The algorithms lend themselves to creating echo chambers for extremism. Some social media channels have almost no moderation anymore either and are actively pushing far right ideology in the name of 'freedom of speech'.
I am ashamed to be English. I am ashamed to be British. I am ashamed for the whole nation.
This is a small but vocal and violent group. If we, everyone else, do not stand up against them then we become complicit. If we do not rise up and show love, compassion and care to our communities, our whole inclusive communities, then we are complicit.
The parallels to 1930s Germany are terrifying. It started with the 'othering' of minorities, the scapegoating of racial groups and our politicians and mainstream media have been complicit in platforming and normalising far right fascist views. We are witnessing pogroms on our streets.
Immigration and multi-culturalism enriches us.
Our cultures and identities do not get lost, they get celebrated and shared.
We are one single species, among millions of others, trying to survive on a tiny oasis in the vastness of space.
My politics are irrelevant. I simply care about people. I have empathy. I have compassion. I want humanity so survive and I want it to do so peacefully without hate.
Share love. Share compassion. Share peace.
Care and take care.
The old town from Trottner Park
Web Sites Using This Photo
www.atikaschool.org/free-kcse-cre-notes/the-galilean-mini...
foundationmaxvanderstoel.nl/en/israel-palestina-extremism...
foundationmaxvanderstoel.nl/en/israel-palestina-extremism...
Kamera: Nikon FE2
Linse: Nikkor-O Auto 35mm f2 (1970)
Film: Kodak 5222 @ ISO 400
Kjemi: Rodinal (1:50 / 11 min. @ 20°C)
Wikipedia: Iran war (28 February 2026 and ongoing)
Wikipedia: War of aggression (War crime)
- April 1 2026: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian (b. 1954) has issued a direct message to the American people:
In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
To the people of the United States of America, and to all those who, amid a flood of distortions and manufactured narratives, continue to seek the truth and aspire to a better life:
Iran—by this very name, character, and identity—is one of the oldest continuous civilizations in human history. Despite its historical and geographical advantages at various times, Iran has never, in its modern history, chosen the path of aggression, expansion, colonialism, or domination. Even after enduring occupation, invasion, and sustained pressure from global powers—and despite possessing military superiority over many of its neighbors—Iran has never initiated a war. Yet it has resolutely and bravely repelled those who have attacked it.
The Iranian people harbor no enmity toward other nations, including the people of America, Europe, or neighboring countries. Even in the face of repeated foreign interventions and pressures throughout their proud history, Iranians have consistently drawn a clear distinction between governments and the peoples they govern. This is a deeply rooted principle in Iranian culture and collective consciousness—not a temporary political stance.
For this reason, portraying Iran as a threat is neither consistent with historical reality nor with present-day observable facts. Such a perception is the product of political and economic whims of the powerful— the need to manufacture an enemy in order to justify pressure, maintain military dominance, sustain the arms industry, and control strategic markets. In such an environment, if a threat does not exist, it is invented.
Within this same framework, the United States has concentrated the largest number of its forces, bases, and military capabilities around Iran—a country that, at least since the founding of the United States, has never initiated a war. Recent American aggressions launched from these very bases have demonstrated how threatening such a military presence truly is. Naturally, no country confronted with such conditions would forgo strengthening its defensive capabilities. What Iran has done—and continues to do—is a measured response grounded in legitimate self-defense, and by no means an initiation of war or aggression.
Relations between Iran and the United States were not originally hostile, and early interactions between the Iranian and American people were not marred with hostility or tension. The turning point, however, was the 1953 coup d’état—an illegal American intervention aimed at preventing the nationalization of Iran’s own resources. That coup disrupted Iran’s democratic process, reinstated dictatorship, and sowed deep distrust among Iranians toward U.S. policies. This distrust deepened further with America’s support for the Shah’s regime, its backing of Saddam Hussein during the imposed war of the 1980s, the imposition of the longest and most comprehensive sanctions in modern history, and ultimately, unprovoked military aggression—twice, in the midst of negotiations—against Iran.
Yet all these pressures have failed to weaken Iran. On the contrary, the country has grown stronger in many areas: literacy rates have tripled—from roughly 30% before the Islamic Revolution to over 90% today; higher education has expanded dramatically; significant advances have been achieved in modern technology; healthcare services have improved; and infrastructure has developed at a pace and scale incomparable to the past. These are measurable, observable realities that stand independent of fabricated narratives.
At the same time, the destructive and inhumane impact of sanctions, war, and aggression on the lives of the resilient Iranian people must not be underestimated. The continuation of military aggression and recent bombings profoundly affect people’s lives, attitudes, and perspectives. This reflects a fundamental human truth: when war inflicts irreparable harm on lives, homes, cities, and futures, people will not remain indifferent toward those responsible.
This raises a fundamental question: Exactly which of the American people’s interests are truly being served by this war? Was there any objective threat from Iran to justify such behavior? Does the massacre of innocent children, the destruction of cancer-treatment pharmaceutical facilities, or boasting about bombing a country “back to the stone ages” serve any purpose other than further damaging the United States’ global standing?
Iran pursued negotiations, reached an agreement, and fulfilled all its commitments. The decision to withdraw from that agreement, escalate toward confrontation, and launch two acts of aggression in the midst of negotiations were destructive choices made by the U.S. government—choices that served the delusions of a foreign aggressor.
Attacking Iran’s vital infrastructure—including energy and industrial facilities—directly targets the Iranian people. Beyond constituting a war crime, such actions carry consequences that extend far beyond Iran’s borders. They generate instability, increase human and economic costs, and perpetuate cycles of tension, planting seeds of resentment that will endure for years. This is not a demonstration of strength; it is a sign of strategic bewilderment and an inability to achieve a sustainable solution.
Is it not also the case that America has entered this aggression as a proxy for Israel, influenced and manipulated by that regime? Is it not true that Israel, by manufacturing an Iranian threat, seeks to divert global attention away from its crimes toward the Palestinians? Is it not evident that Israel now aims to fight Iran to the last American soldier and the last American taxpayer dollar—shifting the burden of its delusions onto Iran, the region, and the United States itself in pursuit of illegitimate interests?
Is “America First” truly among the priorities of the U.S. government today?
I invite you to look beyond the machinery of misinformation—an integral part of this aggression—and instead speak with those who have visited Iran. Observe the many accomplished Iranian immigrants—educated in Iran—who now teach and conduct research at the world’s most prestigious universities, or contribute to the most advanced technology firms in the West. Do these realities align with the distortions you are being told about Iran and its people?
Today, the world stands at crossroads. Continuing along the path of confrontation is more costly and futile than ever before. The choice between confrontation and engagement is both real and consequential; its outcome will shape the future for generations to come. Throughout its millennia of proud history, Iran has outlasted many aggressors. All that remains of them are tarnished names in history, while Iran endures—resilient, dignified, and proud.
(PC, Press TV)
Source - Palestine Chronicle: ‘You Are Not Our Enemy’ – Iran’s President Sends Message to Americans – FULL TEXT (April 1 2026)
(photo not by me... credit other) - not need comments.. just tribute
The extremism has killed Leila in the attack in Ouagadougou.
The world of photography, of NGOs (Amnesty International), L'Institut du Monde Arabe@Paris, her family, friends, colleagues, all people crossed her way ... mourns the tragic disappearance of Leila.
She was a talented photographer in contact with the human, peace ----> www.leilaalaoui.com
"Leila Alaoui is a French-Moroccan photographer and video artist whose experiences across different cultural and geographic environments inform her critical and creative practice. Born in Paris in 1982, she studied photography at the City University of New York before spending time in Morocco and Lebanon. Her work explores the construction of identity and cultural diversity, often through the prism of the migration stories that intersect the contemporary Mediterranean. Her images express social realities using a visual language that combines the narrative depth of documentary storytelling and the aesthetic sensibilities of fine art.
Her work has been exhibited internationally since 2009, including at the Institut du Monde Arabe, Art Dubai and the Maison Européenne de la Photographie in Paris, and has been published in newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times and Vogue. Today she lives and works between Marrakech and Beirut...."
In Favoriten, the 10th district of Vienna. The only thing that seems threatening here is the weather situation. Apart from that, this is one of the most peaceful places in Vienna. I know what I'm writing about because I lived nearby from 2009 to 2023.
The Viennese tabloid press may try to create a different impression, but that is just far-right bullshit.
Pakistan policeman guard the blocked road leading towards the Supreme Court in Islamabad November 4, 2007. Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf addressed the nation on Saturday hours after imposing emergency rule, saying terrorism and extremism had reached their limit and his country's sovereignty was at stake.
Kindly Do not use this or any Other Photo from me posted here without my written permission, even not for any blog or any other such activity
Peaceful Pakistan
In the recent years Pakistan has become more and more famous for its unstable political and disastrous economical situation, for terrorism, inequality or discrimination i.e. against minorities. Nevertheless Pakistan is still one of the most beautiful and underestimated countries I have ever visited. I can ensure that not everyone in Pakistan is a terrorist or extremist nor is the country full of extremism or hatespeeches – as media illustrates or simplifies sometimes. The average Pakistani is a friendly person with whom you would like to talk and maybe drink a cup of Chai. The people I met were open minded and gave me always the opportunity to speak about problems and their daily life experiences. Pakistan has a lot of potential to grew, develop and prosper but there are still many problems to face, especially corruption or greedy politicians who do not care about their own nation but their moneybags.
I had a great time visiting the natural diversities of Pakistans landscape although I could not visit the Northern Areas of Pakistan like Karakoram or the Himalaya nor Balochistan in the West at the Irianian boarder. InshAllah the future will allow me to do so ;-)
Hereby some peaceful and personal impressions from my latest Pakistan trip in winter 2014/2015
Inspired by the play "Rhinoceros" by Eugène Ionesco, a commentary on the dangers of mob mentality and extremism
Built for Bio-Cup 2021 round 1
Theme: Media & Entertainment
Subtheme: Performing Arts/ Theater
"DIVERSITY is our home"
Das neue Wahrzeichen der Stadt Oberhausen, ein Statement zur Zeit und gegen Rechts.
The new landmark of the city of Oberhausen, a statement about the present time and against right-wing extremism.
www.waz.de/staedte/oberhausen/glueck-auf-leuchtet-vom-hoc...
Oberhausen 2019