Sept 11: New events fan flame of mayhem

By Paul Arhewe, Online/Foreign Editor


Before 2001, September 11 was like any other date for the Americans and the rest of the world.

But this was not so again after the terrorists’ attack on New York Twin Towers, and the Pentagon where about 3,000 lives were sniffed out within intervals of minutes. Two fuel loaded planes were crashed straight into World Trade Centre- housing the two tallest buildings in U.S. within interval of17 minutes, third plane after about one hour plunged into Pentagon in Virginia (destroying a wing of government’s military headquarters) and a fourth one heading to Washington D.C. about 30 minutes later crashed half way in Pennsylvania, following the interventions of passengers that rushed the terrorists after hearing of previous attack through their cell phones.

This development did not only immediately shattered U.S. security, but threw it into a state of emergency.

Though the U.S. intelligence were quick in pointing fingers to Osama bin Laden al-Qaeda group in Afghanistan, and the Bush administration spared nothing in retaliating against the Islamic Taliban regime that had protected the al-Qaeda in the mid-east country’ one wonders if the Taliban actually owns up to the 9/11 attacks? However, new argument last week by the Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad casts doubts on if actually U.S. is telling the world the truth or knows who the real actors behind these attacks were. According to him, "Something happened in New York and still nobody knows who the main perpetrators of that act were." He further charged that "No independent people were allowed to try and identify the perpetrators". Does Ahmadinejad knows what the rest of the world do not know about the true happenings or untold story of the 9/11 attacks?

No sooner than the twin towers were grounded that prophesy was linked to establish background of the event. This emerged from a script dated many centuries from a foremost astrologer of all times Nostradamus. The prophesy in his book The Centuries written in 1654 was In the City of God there will be a great thunder, Two brothers torn apart by Chaos, while the fortress endures, the great leader will succumb",

The third big war will begin when the big city is burning.



Interpreting this -the ‘City of God’ is New York City, the “two brothers torn apart by Chaos” was surely the fallen towers of the World Trade Centre. The fortress is the U.S Pentagon, and the ‘great leader’ succumbing to chaos surely is United States of America, and the third big war is a pointer to World War III.



Has the US successfully fought this war since 2001 by its military futility in Iraq and Afghanistan where over 110,000 lives have been lost? Or maybe the ‘third big war’ is imminent following recent events that are fuelling the ambient of religious bedlam.

First was the purported building of a mosque close to Ground Zero; the spot where the fallen towers in 9/11 attacks took place. This development attracted conflicting debates and threatened President Barack Obama, following his initial statement that the American Muslim community has right like any other religious group to build their mosque in any part non-restricted area in U.S. in his words: "This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakeable. The principle that people of all faiths are welcome in this country, and will not be treated differently by their government, is essential to who we are”. Many are of the view that Obama next bid to return to the Oval office would be tested on debates stemming from the aforementioned posture he exhibited.



Feisal Abdul Rauf, the Imam behind the proposed move to build the mosque two block next to Ground Zero stated in an interview recently that: “The status of Muslims in America and how America engages with its Muslim community has global ramifications”. The 13-story building is also to have compartment for community canter and a memorial to victims of the September 11 attacks.



The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq the US troops fought were not explicitly religiously inclined but one waged against terror. Thus, they were restricted and limited to the mid-east region. But the proposed move to burn Koran publicly by a U.S pastor and intention of an Imam to build a mosque near Ground Zero would spark a colossal war that could culminate into war with factions aligned under religious basis. This is surely a good parting for WW3.

Rauf, even admitted this when he said, "If we don't do this right, anger will explode in the Muslim world ... If we don't handle this crisis correctly, it could become something very dangerous indeed."



Another event that is like a time bomb ready to blow off, sparking religious war between Christian and their Islamic brotherhood is the planned move to set hundreds of Korans on fire by a U.S. pastor controlling a small congregation of fifty people in Florida. Rev. Terry Jones of the Dove World Outreach Center has marked out the 9/11, in commemoration of the terror attack anniversary to burn Muslim holy book for 3hours (6pm-9pm), an spinout of his last year declaration where he posted signs in front of his church with inscription stating "Islam is of the Devil."

Jones’ recent plan to burn Koran has attracted many reactions and condemnation to this action that is not only insanity, but one presumed is aimed at making him and his 50-member congregation famous. Not only would U.S. troops in places like Afghanistan, Iraq and other embassies across the world to placed as easy targets, fanatics among the Islamic faith would joyfully see this as an avenue to quickly attack Christians with the slightest of provocation. We remember the reactions the caricatured cartoon of Prophet Mohammed spurred in part of Northern Nigerians despite the fact the event took place in millions of miles from Nigeria.

Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Kabul Afghanistan, first raised his voice condemning the pastor’s plan; saying it would undermine the U.S. effort in Afghanistan and jeopardize the safety of American troops and civilians.

According to U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton this plan is “disrespectful, and disgraceful”. She also explicitly condemned the plan. Already effigy of Pastor Jones and U.S. flags have already been burnt in open protests against his move in Afghanistan and Indonesia among other Muslim states. The pastor knows he is not safe, as he made known to public last Wednesday that he had already received 100 death threats, and that he has armed himself with a .40-caliber pistol to safeguard himself wherever he goes.





Obama also lent his voice last Thursday on the issue, imploring the minister to have a change of heart on the despicable act. According to him the intended act of the pastor is “a bonanza to mass recruitments for the Taliban”. He implored him during an interview with ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’ saying "If he's listening, I hope he understands that what he's proposing to do is completely contrary to our values as Americans," Obama said. "That this country has been built on the notion of freedom and religious tolerance."

One would be wondering why no arrest is made on the pastor to stop him from carrying out his threat. U.S. is a country that guide jealously his constitution and are ready to abide by it even when situation are not too pleasing to the eyes of other people across the world. According to constitution analysts, Rev. Jones has not violated any constitutional right. In fact, he is exhibiting his freedom of speech through his action, and cannot be held since his action has not caused any direct bodily harm to anybody. Hence, other suave moves to placate him out of his insanity planned act should be employed.



Though acknowledging the grave negative consequence the stationing of mosque close to Ground Zero would attract Rauf is still resolute like Rev. Jones saying that nothing is off the table, the move is still on to build it at the proposed spot. He said moving the project to another location would strengthen Islamist radicals' ability to recruit followers and would increase violence against Americans.



This year’s commemoration of 9/11 attacks is no doubts one that has attracted proceedings that are ready to tear apart America war against terror and jeopardise the security of Americas across the world.

Hence, The U.S. government under Obama need to carefully handled situations like these current religious outbursts that could easily spark mayhem leading to bloodletting from already high tempers of the people from either side of faith - be it Christian or Muslim.

Death penalty cases: U.S. double standard condemned

Paul Arhewe, Online/ Foreign Editor


The accusation of double standard against United States has trailed its execution of Teresa Lewis last Thursday at the Greensville Correctional Centre in Virginia despite the fact that American led other western states in condemning Iran’s purported plan to stone an accused woman for adultery and her having a role in her husband’s death.

Several entreaties, over 7,300 appeals, from European countries coupled with those from right activists’ and open staged protest for Virginian government to halt the execution of Lewis by lethal injection, all were ignored and the execution was conducted.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad earlier last week before the execution condemned western media and the western world of double standard in death penalty cases. Ahmadinejad during a speech to Islamic clerics and other figures in New York noted that "millions of Internet pages" have been devoted to Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, whose stoning sentence was suspended in July and her case put under review.



"Meanwhile, nobody objects to the case of an American woman who is going to be executed."

"Today Western media are propaganda agents who continuously speak about democracy and human rights though their slogans are sheer lies," he added.

His condemnation would be staring the America on the face as practising internally those same acts that it condemns in other countries, especially those considered as its foes.



Her case and that of the Iranian woman’s have drawn international sympathy mainly because of their feminine status which normally is seen as docile to criminal tendencies. The proportion of male to female execution in U.S. is very wide, especially since the country’s Supreme Court reinstated capital punishment in 1976. Out of over 1,200 people executed only 11 were women.



The cases of both condemned women bear semblance. For Lewis, who her attorneys say she is mentally imbalance, confessed she was guilty for the killings of her late husband and step son, and pled for forgiveness before her execution. Ashtiani, the condemned Iranian woman still maintains her innocence and retracted her earlier statement. She claimed she was forced under duress to give false confession which led to her conviction in the adultery case.



Ashtiani was convicted in 2006 of having an ''illicit relationship'' with two men after the murder of her husband the year before and was sentenced at that time to 99 lashes. Later that year, she was also convicted of adultery and sentenced to be stoned.

After putting the stoning sentence on hold, Iran suddenly announced that the woman had also been brought to trial and convicted of playing a role in her husband's 2005 murder. Her lawyer disputes that, saying no charges against her in the killing have ever been part of her case file. In early August, Iranian authorities broadcast a purported confession from Ashtiani on state-run television. In it, a woman identified as Ashtiani admits to being an unwitting accomplice in her husband's killing. The Iranian authorities are said to have flogged her for the publication of a photo of a woman without her hair covered in the Times of London newspaper.



Lewis in 2002 contracted two men whom she had sex with and gave them cash to kill her husband and step son for her to claim a $250,000 insurance policy. Both men would have to die for her to receive the insurance payout. She married Julian in 2000 and two years later, his son Charles entered the U.S. Army Reserve. When he was called for active duty he obtained a $250,000 life insurance policy, naming his father the beneficiary and providing temptation for Teresa Lewis.

She met at a Walmart with the two men who ultimately killed Julian Lewis and his son. Lewis began an affair with Matthew Shallenberger and later had sex with the other triggerman, Rodney Fuller. She also arranged sex with Fuller and her daughter, who was 16, in a parking lot.

On the night before Halloween in 2002, after she prayed with her husband, Lewis got out of bed, unlocked the door to their mobile home and put the couple's pit bull in a bedroom so the animal wouldn't interfere. Shallenberger and Fuller came in and shot both men several times with the shotguns Lewis had bought for them.

She was testified by her attorney, many other prisoners and warders as a changed woman before she was put to death. She had openly confessed her wrong and begged for forgiveness to the only surviving daughter of her late husband. In her words: "I was doing drugs, stealing, lying and having several affairs during my marriages," Lewis wrote in a statement that was read at a prison religious service in August. "I went to church every Sunday, Friday and revivals but guess what? I didn't open my Bible at home, only when I was at church." Moments before her execution, Lewis asked if her stepdaughter was near. She was. Kathy Clifton was in an adjacent witness room blocked from the inmate's view by a two-way mirror. "I want Kathy to know that I love her and I'm very sorry," Lewis said.

The act of Lewis is one that called for capital punishment, just like many people have condemned her that she desired what she got. Nevertheless, Iranian government was painted a monster in Ashtiani case, and well trumpeted by western media. But the American government and the western media, who were leading the cry against her stoning, went mum when Lewis’ case gained international attention, amid several entireties for stay of her execution. Is this not a case of double standard?

Iranian government would have the upper hand in the barbaric death sentence of Ashtiani by stoning, even as it is undergoing review. A mark which can be interpreted as the painted devil sometimes listen to entireties while the acclaimed saint turns deaf ears to clemencies and pleas. The two cases and their endings portray huge irony, where only bias less elucidation would only make one to decipher the boundary that separates both.