EMAILS - #9 "Don't buy it Don't use it"

Hi Guys!

Rabbi Arthur Waskow heads up the Shalom Center and always remembers Eid.... his 2008 email below was especially neat, I thought, so I'm passing it along too as a different take!

(The hearts & flowers stamp isn't U.S. Mule, but, as the stamp states, a custom one from Zazzle http://www.zazzle.com/stamps Can't read the signature to see who made it.

.....The 2001 official U.S. Eid stamp -- http://www.usps.com/communications/news/press/2006/holiday/eid_hr.jpg -- has been reissued regularly over the past 9 years. The P.O. says: "The Postal Service recognized other special holidays when it issued its first Hanukkah stamp in 1996, followed in 1997 by its first Kwanzaa stamp, and in 2001 by the Eid stamp" http://www.usps.com/postalhistory/_pdf/ChristmasStamps.pdf#search='Eid%20stamp'

.....About the official stamp's translation, the P.O. says:  "...Muslims wish each other 'Eid mubarak,' the phrase featured in Islamic calligraphy on the stamp. 'Eid mubarak' translates literally as 'blessed festival,' and can be paraphrased as 'May your religious holiday be blessed.' http://www.usps.com/news/2001/philatelic/sr01_054.htm

.....Snopes says the first versions of this email started in 2002, and FactCheck lists additional official sites to check out --
http://www.snopes.com/politics/stamps/eidstamp.asp  
http://www.factcheck.org/2009/09/muslim-stamp/     )

Your ornery [friend] thinks the P.O. one is a neat stamp! ....& hopes it helps us get to know one another better....

Thanks and lotsa luv!!



Here's Rabbi Wascow (hope he's not too wild!! ....I colored a couple sentences red in case you're skimming):
[here used **asterisks & italics**]


Date: Sun, 7 Dec 2008 19:29:54 -0500 (EST)
From: Rabbi Arthur Waskow
Subject: Eid Mubarak & its Blessed Teaching: Don't Kill Your Children, Feed the Poor!
To:

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=7Of1Mcx5J6xuOFOs3KyMqe4SwjE0VSW%2B
A Prophetic Voice in Jewish, Multireligious, and American Life

Eid Mubarak! -- Don't Kill Your Children,

Feed the Poor!


"This (Sunday) afternoon, I spoke and led prayers at a Philadelphia Presbyterian Church along with an imam, a Mennonite minister, and a spiritual leader of the Cherokee Nation.

"I spoke about the Season of Peace that -

"began last Sunday with the Christian Advent,

"continues tonight with blessings of abundance, peace, and joy to those in the world of Islam who tonight begin celebrating Eid Al-Adha, the Festival of the Sacrifice,

"and continues past Hanukkah and Christmas to January 19 and 20,

"when we remember Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel (whose yohrzeit is on January 14) and Dr. Martin Luther King (whose birthday will be officially celebrated on January 19),

"and encourage a grass-roots American movement for peace, justice, and healing of the earth as it goes forward with the tasks of transforming America and the world during a new government, beginning January 20.

"Eid al-Idha celebrates Abraham's and Ishmael's willingness to obey God's voice, even when it called for Ishmael's death, and at the same time it celebrates God's change of heart, calling instead for Ibrahim to offer up a ram instead of Ismail.

"In memory of that substitution, today those in the Muslim community who can afford to buy a lamb or calf arrange to share its meat with those who cannot afford it

"Thus the message of Eid El-Idha has two levels: Tuning in to God's will to go beyond possessiveness, and then to celebrating the ultimate wisdom God commands: 'Do not kill your children; feed the poor!'

".... To carry forward the interfaith theme, let me invite you to click to the lead story on our web page at 'The Meaning of Mumbai.' http://www.theshalomcenter.org/index.php?q=node/1466

**"It not only reviews the widespread Muslim condemnations of those Muslims who claim to be killing in God's Name;** it not only includes the 'Mourners Kaddish in Time of War & Violence' -----

"It also includes a memo on what President-elect Obama could/should be doing to prevent further murders in the name of God and various religions.

**"Plus there's a memo to those who organized the 'World Interfaith Dialogue' in Madrid last summer, called together by the World Muslim League and the King of Saudi Arabia in his role as Guardian of the Two Sacred Places, about what they could do to prevent further 'religious' violence.**

"In honor of these varied religious festivals devoted to Peace and Light that come to us at this season, there are music, art, and books of teaching --- gifts to give a deeper meaning to Eid, Hanukkah, and Christmas.

"They transcend any one tradition and are available to you for purchase from The Shalom Center .... But most important of all, YOU can create real multireligious connections in your own neighborhood --like the one I spoke at today - and you can give them an organizing focus to move forward as communities working for peace, justice, and healing of the earth.

"Shalom, salaam, peace --
"Arthur"




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----- Forwarded Message -----

From:
To:
Sent: Thu, 8 Jul 2010 16:21:30 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Fw: Fwd: Don't buy it Don't use it

From:
Sent: Thursday, July 08, 2010 3:25 PM
To:
Subject: Fwd: Don't buy it Don't use it


Subject: FW: Don't buy it Don't use it

Apparently the Post Office thinks that putting hearts and butterflies on the new stamp will make most people not realize that the rest is Arabic and probably not something we want to support.

New Stamp - the second one!!!

USPS New 44-Cent Stamp Celebrates a
Muslim holiday. If there is only ONE thing you forward  today, let it be this!

President  Obama has directed the United
States Postal Service to REMEMBER and HONOR the EID MUSLIM holiday season with a new commemorative 44-Cent First Class Holiday Postage Stamp.

REMEMBER to adamantly & vocally BOYCOTT this stamp, when you are purchasing
your stamps at the post office.

All you have to say is "No thank you, I do not want that Muslim Stamp on my letters!"

To use this stamp would  be a slap in the face to all those AMERICANS who died at the hands of those MUSLIMS  whom
this stamp  honors.

REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of Pan
Am Flight 103!

REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the World Trade Center in1993!

REMEMBER the  MUSLIM bombing of the Marine Barracks in Lebanon!

REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the Military Barracks in  Saudi Arabia !

REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the American Embassies in Africa !

REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the USS COLE!

REMEMBER the MUSLIM attack on 9/11/2001!

REMEMBER all the AMERICAN lives that were lost in those vicious MUSLIM attacks and the MUSLIM
terrorists who are anxiously awaiting opportunities to kill Americans!

Pass this along to every Patriotic American that
you know and get the word out! Honor the United States of America!

Attachment converted: [sorry I don't know how to copy this! see at http://www.snopes.com/politics/stamps/eidstamp.asp  ]


Received: from
by
Wed, 7 Jul 2010 21:09:34 +0000
Received: from [ (envelope-from )
(; Wed, 07 Jul 2010 21:09:34 +0000

From:
To:
Subject: FW: Don't buy it Don't use it
Date: Wed, 7 Jul 2010 17:09:31 -0400

From:
Sent: Wednesday, July 07, 2010 9:16 AM
To: Undisclosed-Recipient:;
Subject: Fw: Don't buy it Don't use it

Apparently the Post Office thinks that putting hearts and butterflies on the new stamp will make most people not realize that the rest is Arabic and probably not something we want to support.

New Stamp - the second one!!!

USPS New 44-Cent Stamp Celebrates a Muslim holiday. If there is only ONE thing you forward today, let it be this!

President Obama has directed the United States Postal Service to REMEMBER and HONOR the EID MUSLIM holiday season with a new commemorative 44-Cent First Class Holiday Postage Stamp.

REMEMBER to adamantly & vocally BOYCOTT this stamp, when you are purchasing your stamps at the post office.

All you have to say is "No thank you, I do not want that Muslim Stamp on my letters!"

To use this stamp would be a slap in the face to all those AMERICANS who died at the hands of those MUSLIMS whom this stamp honors.

REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of Pan Am Flight 103!

REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993!

REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the Marine Barracks in Lebanon !

REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the Military Barracks in Saudi Arabia !

REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the American Embassies in Africa !

REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the USS COLE!

REMEMBER the MUSLIM attack on 9/11/2001!

REMEMBER all the AMERICAN lives that were lost in those vicious MUSLIM attacks and the MUSLIM terrorists who are anxiously awaiting opportunities to kill Americans!

Pass this along to every Patriotic American that you know and get the word out! Honor the United States of America!



Attachment converted: Macintosh HD:Untitled 125 (JPEG/«IC») (003A6379)

EMAILS - # 3 "This is chilling"

To: Friend 1
From:
Date: March 5, 2010
Subject: Fwd: Re: Fw: This is chilling

Hi Guys!

I didn't pay much attention last September, but today when I checked out the news reports of the Muslim prayer gathering, it was heartwarming (rather than chilling!), I thought.

It was interesting to read in FactCheck how the organizer of the prayer event was "New Jersey lawyer (and former Bucknell University star tailback) ...[Hassen Abdellah, who said] it’s to show 'we love America.' He was inspired by the president’s inaugural address and Cairo speech."
http://www.factcheck.org/2009/09/muslim-prayer-day-sept-25/

According to the Washington Post, "  'Most of the time, when Muslims go to Washington, D.C., they go there to protest some type of event,' Abdellah said. 'This is not a protest. Never has the Islamic community prayed on Capitol Hill for the soul of America. We're Americans. We need to change the face of Islam so people don't feel every Muslim believes America is "the great Satan," because we love America.' "
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/04/AR2009090403877.html

It's very sad, though -- and maybe this is the chilling part to me -- that it looks like that message didn't get through -- since the email originator says "Especially knowing that the Muslim religion believes that if Christians cannot be converted they should be annihilated"

After the president's Cairo speech, there were a few local letters to the editor in the Roxboro Courier -- get your delete key ready, because if I don't forget, I'm going to attach them here!

About the National Day of Prayer proclamation last May.... I haven't read this anyplace, but I have a hunch that one reason President Obama didn't continue President Bush's services in the White House is that as a prof of constitutional law, he'd be sensitive to questions of "establishment of religion."

What do you guys think?

Happy Friday and lotsa love!


~~~~~~~~

http://reflectionsbelovedcommunity.blogspot.com/2009/07/this-letter-appeared-in-roxboro-courier.html

July 15, 2009
Enemy appeasing speech
From Jane Clayton (not our Jane!!!!!)
To the editor:

July 29, 2009
“Liberty and Justice for All”
From me
To the Editor:

August 1, 2009
Comment on Cairo speech
From Vickie Shull
To the Editor:



******************************************************
Date: Fri, 5 Mar 2010 17:29:05 -0500
From: One of my fellow recipients who "replied to all" simply to the point!
Subject: Re: Fw: This is chilling
To:
<
<
€
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/photos/prayerday.asp



******************************************************
----- Original Message -----
From:
To:
Cc:
Sent: Friday, March 05, 2010 9:35 AM
Subject: Fwd: Fw: This is chilling

----- Forwarded Message -----

From:
To: Undisclosed-Recipient:;
Sent: Fri, 5 Mar 2010 08:52:33 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Fw: This is chilling

In 1952 President Truman established one day a year as a National Day of Prayer.

In 1988, President Reagan designated the first Thursday in May of each year as the National Day of Prayer.

In June 2007, (then)  Presidential candidate Barack Obama declared that the USA was no  longer a Christian nation.

In 2009 President Obama, canceled the 21st annual National Day of Prayer ceremony at the  White House under the ruse of "not wanting to offend anyone"
 
(By the way, I was offended!)

On September 25, 2009 from 4 am until 7 pm, a National Day of Prayer for the Muslim religion was held on Capitol Hill, beside the White House. There were over 50,000 Muslims that day in DC.

I guess it doesn't matter if "Christians" are offended by this event -we obviously don't count as "anyone" anymore.

The direction this country is headed should strike fear in the heart of every Christian. Especially knowing that the Muslim religion believes that if Christians cannot be converted they should be annihilated

I hope that this information will stir your spirit.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Cairo Speech: Church and State

This letter appeared in the Roxboro Courier-Times July 15, 2009. Three responses follow.


To the editor:
Enemy appeasing speech
(from city resident)  

I read Obama's Cairo speech and was sickened. Let me share a few quotes and paraphrased excerpts, realizing most are unaware of its contents.

Obama mentioned that John Adams, our second president, said the U.S. had no enmity against Muslims. We didn't in 1796; we hadn't been attacked on our land yet, but Americans and others were experiencing attacks elsewhere that continues until today.

Obama made the point that Thomas Jefferson had a copy of the Koran (Muslim Bible) in his personal library. I have lots of books even one on world religions but I do not practice them.

Obama said, "I am a Christian." A true follower of Jesus Christ uplifts Christ, not other gods. John 14:6 -- Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, BUT BY ME.

Obama said "...since our founding, American Muslims have enriched the U.S."

Don't be misled by the play on words. There are no founding American Muslims. I have no doubt there are peaceable Muslims, but some well known terrorists ARE Muslim.

Obama's speech mas misleading, contradicting and insulting to America and its heritage. Why is our president in Africa praising Muslims?

It's time to be biblically and historically correct not politically correct. My objective is not to stir ignorant prejudices or sling hateful words but to bring awareness to this destructive path we're on and to inspire individuals to read his speeches, know American history and to study our Christian heritage. Don't let a wolf in sheep's clothing deceive you. Find the truth for yourself. If you want to stay a free, Christian nation instead of a Muslim, bondaged one, WAKE UP!

Obama said, "And when the first Muslim-American was recently elected to congress, he took the oath to defend our constitution using the same holy Koran..." That should have never been allowed. Our constitution was based on the Holy Bible, not Koran. We cannot take a Holy Bible into some public places but yet someone can be sworn into a government office on the Koran. Unbelievable!

The Holy Bible and prayer was taken out of our schools yet Islam is being taught in our colleges and prisons; even being promoted by our president. Search resources other than our convenient, liberal, biased media. Try 680 AM, American Family Association and Onenewsnow.com. Educate yourselves now or perhaps never. When your freedom of speech is gone it will be too late.

No doubt we had problems before Obama, but there has been a forceful attack waged in our fundamentals since he took office.

There isn't space to discuss numerous other concerns such as out of control spending.

Obama is bringing change, a change to rock the foundation of America. We're being destroyed from within.

Do you follow blindly, hire illegals, neglect your kids, spend what you don't have, ignore our country's decline, deny our loving God?

My hope is not in Obama, thank God!




Published July 29, 2009 (from me):

To the Editor
"Liberty and Justice for All"

______________ writes (July 15): “...no doubt there are peaceable Muslims,” and President Obama’s Cairo speech agrees. These are the people who are praised, and they are key in the struggle against terrorists who claim Islam.

To the violent, the President sternly warned: “We will...relentlessly confront violent extremists who pose a grave threat to our security.... Their actions are irreconcilable with the rights of human beings...and with Islam.”

I would like to invite those disturbed by the speech to see it as expressing the spirit of our founders in matters of religion.

After the long history of religious wars in Europe and the Holy Land, and Colonial laws like those that imprisoned Baptist preachers or made it a capital offense to miss church for three Sundays (!), the founders sought to guarantee freedom of religion through “a wall of separation between Church & State,” as Jefferson and others expressed it. I believe this harmonizes with Jesus’ saying, “Render to Caesar that which is Caesar’s, and to God that which is God’s.”

Our Constitution mentions religion twice: “...no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States” (Article VI) and “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof” (the First Amendment).

Both would support Rep. Ellison’s decision to take the oath of office “to support and defend the Constitution” while using the book of his faith, the Koran. (Personally, I am thankful the Constitution allows me to “Affirm” rather than to swear on anything. I keep thinking of Jesus’ words “Do not swear on anything....but let your ‘Aye’ be ‘Aye’ and your ‘Nay,’ ‘Nay’“! [Mtt.5])

By the same Constitutional guarantee, no Christian can be prohibited from maintaining the “No one comes to the Father but by me” in John’s Gospel.

The 1797 Treaty with Tripoli of Barbary, Article 11, begins, “As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion, -- as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Musselmen [Muslims]....” It passed unanimously. George Washington wrote, “...we shall welcome to a participation of all our rights and privileges... Mohometans, Jews or Christians of any sect, or they may be atheists.”

Islam’s genuine values are “pluralism, freedom, justice, human rights, and above all, democracy,” says Resa Aslan in “No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam.” Just as we do not hold Christianity responsible for terrorists in the “Christian Identity” movement (which the Southern Poverty Law Center and others repeatedly warn against), so I believe we need not be distressed, but see the spirit of our founders at work when an American president, who is Christian, seeks allies among people of all faiths who want to work for liberty and justice for all.





Two more letters appeared August 1. I was reassured that two other people in this little community were perturbed enough to write!

To the Editor:
Comment on Cairo speech
(from Vickie Shull)

I would like to make a somewhat different statement regarding President Obama's Cairo speech. When we reach out to others, we open the door to understanding and peace, when we seek the "likeness" and build upon that rather than the differences we have hope.

Religious fanaticism has a long ugly history, regardless of the particular faith it is something that has led to wars and great human abuses. There are countless examples of such abuses within the Christian faith as well as others. During the Spanish inquisition many slaughters occurred in the name of Jesus, something I'm sure that Jesus would not approve of.

Today we are seeing a rise of such fanatics from within the Christian community as well as the Muslim community. Fanaticism is based on fear, rather than faith; by reaching out, and trying to understand one another we can squelch the rise of hatred. Just recently a man calling himself a Christian walked into a church and killed a doctor during a worship service. Another killed a guard at the holocaust museum, these were not Christian acts, and I certainly would hope that the world does not view my faith through such acts.

The Sept. 11, 2001 attack was committed by a group of radical extremists that do not represent the whole of the Muslim world any more than those who participated in the Spanish inquisition, the slaughter of man worshiping in his church, represent true Christianity.

President Obama addressed this in his Cairo speech rather eloquently:

Violent extremists have exploited these tensions in a small but potent minority of Muslims.

The attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 and the continued efforts of these extremists to engage in violence against civilians has led some in my country to view Islam are inevitable hostile not only to America and Western countries, but also to human rights. All this has bred more fear and more mistrust.

So long as our relationship is defined by our differences, we will empower those who sow hatred rather than peace, those who promote conflict rather than the cooperation that can help all of our people achieve justice and prosperity. And this cycle of suspicions and discord must end.

The president also stated, "The first issue that we have to confront is violent extremism in all of it's forms."

Our founding fathers made sure that we have religious freedom. Article 6 of the Constitution states, "but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to office or public trust under the United States."

The first amendment clearly prohibits the establishment of a state religion, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

I have always held the ideal that if I am to secure my freedoms, I must also protect those of others. This is a country of "freedom of religion: not established religion, and is our God given right to worship as we see fit. There are many marvelous Christians, Jews, Muslims and many other people of faith in our country. My God teaches me to fear not, hate not, but to love one another..




To the Editor:
For benefit of humanity
(from Grady Cozart)

I've heard just about enough from the Christian Republican Whiner's Committee. Although there have been others recently that have been getting on my nerves, this time I'm referring specifically to Jane Clayton's letter in the July 15 C-T.

So let me get this straight. Because some Muslims are terrorists we're suppose to hate all of them? That's the same prejudiced and ignorant religious mentality that has brought us the Spanish Inquisition, the Crusades, World War II, and the World Trade Center attacks. Yes, more people have died in the name of God than for any other reason.

Did it ever occur to you that maybe Obama is trying to unite people of all faiths, or lack thereof, for the benefit of all humanity? I find it ironic that Christians are persecuting Obama much as Jews had persecuted Jesus.

Obama didn't say "founding American Muslims," you did. What you don't realize is that most of our founding fathers, including Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and George Washington, were not Christian, they were Deists. I'll let you look that up. Many of them despised Christianity because of its desire to suppress the rights of others. Biblically and historically correct? Perhaps you should read your Bible and a few other history books. The U.S. is not a Christian nation as you would have us believe, but an amalgamation of all religions as well as atheists/agnostics. No part of our Constitution is based on the Bible or any other religious ideals.

You said that swearing on the Koran "should never have been allowed." By your own words you deny others their constitutional right to freedom of religion. Apparently you haven't been denied your rights of religious freedom or free speech.

The Whiner's committee says that Obama is running up a national deficit for our grandchildren, while ignoring the fact that it was Christian Republican President George W. Bush that got us into the mess we're in today. The deficit was actually declining under Democrat Bill Clinton.

You speak against following blindly, yet that's exactly what you are doing when you speak of your "loving God." This it the same God who, according to the Bible, murders innocent children, endorses slavery and women's subjugation, as well as witnessing, and causing, the world's atrocities for thousands of years and doing nothing to stop them.

Without fear and magic there would be no religion. It's time we stopped making decisions based on fear and ignorance and started using logic and reason. Yes, we do need wake up...to reality not based on a book of absurdities, atrocities and superstition. It's time to we stopped believing in the talking snake.



~~~~~~~~~
Shorter Version of my letter
"Liberty and Justice for All"

A July 15 letter raised important issues of church, state, and Islam.

Jefferson and others argued that our new government needed a “wall of separation between Church & State.” I believe this harmonizes with Jesus’ word: “Render to Caesar that which is Caesar’s and to God that which is God’s.”

Our Constitution mentions religion twice: “...no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States” (Article VI) and “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof” (the First Amendment).

Both would support Rep. Ellison’s decision to take the oath of office “to support and defend the Constitution” while using the book of his faith, the Koran. And both protect the freedom -- in Washington's phrase -- of "Mohometans, Jews or Christians of any sect, or they may be atheists,” no matter who is in the majority.

Islam’s genuine values are “pluralism, freedom, justice, human rights, and above all, democracy” says Resa Aslan in “No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam.”

These are the values President Obama praised in the Cairo speech. Conversely, to the violent he warned: “We will...relentlessly confront violent extremists who pose a grave threat to our security.... Their actions are irreconcilable with the rights of human beings...and with Islam.”

I believe we see the spirit of our founders at work when an American president, who is Christian, seeks allies among people of all faiths who want to work for liberty and justice for all.