Stumbled upon this site: Crazy Christian Chain Mail.

On the one hand, it is interesting, and funny, to see Crazy “Christian” Chain letters collected, and scorned, in one place. I really, really, dislike those things.

On the other hand, dude’s a little malicious.

But, then again, the scoring section is pretty funny:

Scoring:

-Multiple Fonts Used

-Multiple Colors Used
-That “I AGREE!” part was a sumbitch to code.

-Multiple Type Sizes Used

-ALL-CAPS SHOUTING!

-Graphics, Graphics, Graphics
Imageshack hates me now.

Pass This Along- If You Aren’t Ashamed!
-It’s more “pass this along if you agree, if not kiss my ass,” but it’s the same sentiment

internet, funny, religion | 3 Comments »

Tonight Al Gore will be screening his film, An Inconvenient Truth, to a crowd of about 1,500 people at U of T’s Convocation Hall. 23,000 people tried to get tickets, according to The Toronto Star’s article. Tickets sold for $20. Now, those who had bought tickets to see the film are deciding that selling the ticket at 10 times the face value is a little more prudent than an education from Mr. Climate himself:

“I thought about the money and whether or not I was that committed to seeing Al Gore,” Vicky, who asked her last name not be used, said yesterday in an email. “I figured that since I even contemplated parting with the tickets that I might as well try selling them.”

Now, she hopes they’ll fetch as much as $200 each, 10 times their face value.

“An associate of mine had four tickets – one pair sold for $400 and the other for $500,” she said.

On the other side of the fence, buyers, one of whom describes himself as “desperate,” have posted offers to pay $100 to attend Gore’s two-hour show.

Desperate? Wow.

The Star’s explanation for people selling out: Gore is popular!

[The deals] simply reveal how Gore’s popularity has soared in the past year, as the release of the movie version of his presentation coincided with growing concern about climate change.

“He’s definitely got the star power,” Ingrid Stefanovic, director of the U of T’s Centre for Environment, which is hosting tonight’s event, said in an interview.

Or, one could say that, on the supply side, people care more about making a 1000% profit on a $20 investment. What, people might care more about money than about Al Gore? Or about, say it ain’t so, climate change?

And, The Star’s coverage wouldn’t be complete without the obligatory swipe at, let’s see, Right Wing Commentators (check), Conservative US School Boards (check), oil companies (check), Evangelicals (check), and George Bush (and check)…with a healthy bit of praise for the UK:

Now, Gore is in high demand and cool – or, perhaps, hot. His film, book and talks are having a major impact on the climate-change debate.

As just one example: DVDs of An Inconvenient Truth are being distributed to every high school in England, Wales and Scotland.

Right-wing commentators mock him. Conservative U.S. school boards insist an “opposing view” be available before the film or book goes into classrooms. Groups funded by oil companies have attacked him on the Internet. Some evangelical churches shun the film, and Bush has said he won’t watch it.

The Star seems to be saying - Gore is way popular…look, people are scalping tickets. But, the bad right wingers are trying to stop him. However, he is so popular, he can’t be stopped - momentum is gaining.

Whatever. It is just a weird article.

Oh, and, how will Gore be traveling to the event?:

Today’s stop in Toronto will be brief.

Gore will get a police escort from Pearson Airport to Convocation Hall, have a bite to eat, present his show, spend the night in an undisclosed hotel, then depart. “It’s a real fly-in, fly-out affair,” Stefanovic said.

But, The Star is sure to clarify:

Gore isn’t being paid for the presentation. The university is covering his expenses and, through Zerofootprint, a Toronto non-profit organization, will invest in projects that offset the greenhouse gases produced by transportation for the event.

Yeah. Gore is a superhero.

More: Ian at Hot Air has video of Hannity’s America which seeks to explore Gore’s Carbon Emissions. No comment.

Also, check out this article on Climate Change as Religious Belief: Is Environmentalism the New Religion?

news, politics, U of T | 1 Comment »

Saw this article this morning, and wished that I had known about this event last week. That must be the drawback of sitting in my office at the University, studying without leaving, and not interacting with other people - the sadness of doctoral student life… On the bright side, it is warm in my office.

Jewish Groups Respond to Israeli Apartheid Week

Despite the stormy conditions last week, the lecture hall at University of Toronto’s University College filled with students who came to hear Israeli Ambassador to Canada Alan Baker speak about “The Reality of Zionism on Campus.”

…

“People who call Israel an apartheid state are a small group of extremists, bent on a very particular political agenda: [they] are trying to hijack the minds of the student body to conform to their extreme agenda.”

The process of a large group being manipulated by a small group is becoming a “global trend,” Baker said, and in Canada, events such as Israeli Apartheid Week abuse the very core of the system of Canadian openness.

Calling Israel an apartheid state is “a celebration of ignorance, a hypocrisy, academic dishonesty and crude propaganda,” he said.

…

To make his point clear, Baker quoted Israel’s Declaration of Independence, which states that “the State of Israel… will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture…”

To emphasize this point, Baker highlighted several facts about Israel: it has two official languages – Hebrew and Arabic. The voice of Arab citizens is expressed daily in the media through different television channels, radio stations and newspapers. Currently there are three Arabic political parties in the Knesset as well as one Arabic judge in the Supreme Court. Finally, one-third of the staff at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem is Arabic, and patients come from Jordan for treatment on a regular basis.

Baker also made a point that I saw made at IsraellyCool:

In his final remarks, Baker mentioned Jamal Zahalka, an Arabic member of Knesset who spoke in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal on “Debunking the Myth of Israeli Democracy,” in support of Israeli Apartheid Week.

“[Zahalka is] a living example of Israeli democracy,” Baker said. “Mr. Zahalka is a member of the Israeli Knesset who has benefited from all the democratic and social tenets of Israeli society. He has been a member of numerous parliamentary assemblies, lobbies and committees. Now he goes overseas to openly criticize Israel with the support of Israeli taxpayers’ money. Would a Jew enjoy such freedom in any Arab or Muslim country?”

From IsraellyCool last week:

And in case you are wondering how on Earth they could invite a keynote speaker whose job title alone undermines the claims of apartheid, the answer is that this is not really about apartheid. It’s about fighting Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state.

After observing the boycott rally on Saturday, I really do see the point made about the small number of people manipulating the majority. As I noted, there were maybe a hundred people there…maybe. And, there has been quite a bit of talk about these events, for such a low number of people attending them.

news, politics, U of T | No Comments »

Potentially (though, probably not) in response to the incident reported over at Blue Crab Boulevard yesterday, of a clown beating up a 12 year old kid, two clowns have been shot, and killed, in Columbia.

From the story at BCB yesterday:

You certainly wouldn’t be prepared for [a clown] to grab you by the scruff of the neck, punch and kick you and leave you needing hospital treatment for cuts and bruises.

As these astonishing pictures show, that’s what happened when 12-year-old Amos Lutz met Kaspar the Clown at a circus in Leipzig, Germany.

Today, reported at BBC:

Two circus clowns have been shot dead during a performance in the eastern Colombian city of Cucuta, police say.

The attacker jumped into the arena and fired before fleeing, police chief Jose Humberto Henao told Efe news agency.

Local reports say the audience of about 20 people, mostly children, thought the shooting was part of the show before realising both men had been killed.

…

The motive for the latest killing remains unclear, police said. Local media reports suggest two attackers may have been involved.

One clown was shot in the head as he performed on stage, about an hour into the Circo del Sol’s evening show.

The second, named as 18-year-old Franklin Leal, from Cucuta, was then shot as he stood by the ticket booth, according to the newspaper La Opinion.

In all seriousness, that is pretty sad. Can you imagine the horror of those kids watching this show?

random, news | No Comments »

Eh.

“I’m not afraid to say it. Dessert has a well-known liberal agenda,” Colbert said in a statement. “What I hope to do with this ice cream is bring some balance back to the freezer case.”

random, politics | No Comments »

Just wondering?

Priest Jailed in Exorcism Death

A Romanian priest has been jailed for 14 years for conducting an exorcism that led to the death of a nun who he believed was possessed by devils.

Irina Cornici, 23, died after being starved and chained to a cross at a secluded convent in the north-east.

The ritual in 2005 was led by Daniel Petru Corogeanu, 31, the priest at the Holy Trinity convent in Tanacu village.

He and four nuns were convicted of manslaughter. The nuns got jail terms ranging from five to eight years.

Now, the case of Anneliese Michel (and here) comes to mind…the true exorcism story on which The Exorcism of Emily Rose was based. However, in that case, the priest had the blessing of the Catholic church. I find all this stuff interesting, anyway.

It interests me that the BBC article notes that the priest is Orthodox, and then makes a point of the Catholic church issuing instructions on exorcism in 1999. Two different churches. Maybe the author is pointing out differences? Or, just doesn’t know the difference. The Orthodox church has denounced the incident by the way, excommunicating the four nuns involved, and banning the priest:

The Orthodox Church, which described the Tanacu incident as “abominable”, has promised reforms, including psychological tests for those seeking to enter monasteries.

In case you’re interested, my take on The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Excellent film. I met the director, Scott Derrickson, at The City of Angels Film Festival in 2005. Great guy.

news, religion | No Comments »

This is an absolutely amazing story.

Paraglider survives 32,000 foot fall

Just for reference - Everest is 29,035 feet. Planes fly at 30-35,000 feet.

A German paragliding champion has survived being sucked into a storm that pulled her higher than Mount Everest.

Ewa Wisnierska, 35, who lost consciousness as she soared skywards, was covered in ice and battled hailstones the size of oranges.

She was pulled 9,940m (32,612 feet) above sea level in the storm near Tamworth, in New South Wales, paragliding officials said.

A 42-year-old Chinese man, He Zhongpin, was killed in the tornado-like storm.

They - along with 200 others - were preparing for a world paragliding championship in the town of Manilla, Australia, when the thunderstorm hit.

…

“There’s no oxygen,” Mr Wenness said. “She could have suffered brain damage but she came to again at a height of 6,900m with ice all over her body and slowly descended herself.”

Ms Wisnierska says she felt like an astronaut returning from the Moon as she landed.

“I could see the Earth coming - wow, like Apollo 13 - I can see the Earth,” she said.

She was sure her chance of surviving was “almost zero”.

…

But Ms Wisnierska finally managed to land - 60km (40 miles) from where she took off.

She spent only an hour in hospital after the ordeal, receiving treatment for severe frostbite and blistering on her face and ears.

The man who did not make it was found 75km (~50 miles) from his takeoff point.

Wisnierska plans on competing next week.

news | No Comments »

Well, Michele at Reformed Chicks put together a Christian Blogosphere Blogroll, and, well, since I’m a Christian, and because I am supposed to be blogging about theology and popular media, I figured I would throw my name in.

Check out the list of sites in the sidebar. And, the network feed is here, if you’d like to subscribe to new content.

internet, site maintenance | No Comments »

I have a bit of a vested interest in this story, as, 1) It happened in my hometown, and 2) When it happened last year, both my dad, and my mother-in-law were falling over themselves to get me an interview for the pastoral position. I actually did have an initial interview for the position, over the phone. Maybe “interview” is not the proper term…more like an informal chat after my mother-in-law went by the church to drop off my name and number.

The short of it: The pastor of the church forged documents to give him possession of both the Church building and the parsonage. He then sold both, to the tune of about $725,000. Bought a $100,000 BMW which he drove up and down the streets of the town. Then he got caught.

For nearly a decade, members of Ripon’s First Congregational Church bared their souls to Pastor Randall Radic. But clearly it didn’t work both ways. There were certain things he wasn’t telling them.

That became obvious a year ago, when Radic pleaded guilty to betraying his flock and secretly selling the church and its rectory out from under them. He used the money to buy himself a brand-new black BMW and a laptop _ exploits he later chronicled in a cheeky, almost gleeful blog about his double life as a sinner.

“We didn’t know anything until we got a call from the bank that he had bought a BMW,” said David Prater, who led the church board during Radic’s tenure. “He drove that car right down Main Street.”

What a prick. Church members seemed to think that too:

“The church was basically senior citizens, people in their 80s, 90s and close to 100,” Prater said. “He was their favorite son.”

…

Irate parishioners had been rooting for a long prison term of up to 16 months at his sentencing, set for Thursday.

Unfortunately, no such luck. The guy took confession (or, maybe just made friends with the guy…I don’t know) from a convicted sex offender accused of murder in a capital case. In exchange for time served, and the rest of the charges being dropped, Radic testifies against the guy.

But Radic’s lawyer said last week that the 54-year-old former pastor, who spent six months in jail awaiting trial, will not have to serve any more time behind bars because he agreed to testify about the alleged murder confession of a jailmate.

…

It was in jail that Radic met Roy Gerald Smith, a sex offender awaiting trial in the 2005 slaying of a woman in a death penalty case. In Radic’s blog on a now-defunct Internet site, the former pastor suggested that as he gained Smith’s confidence, Smith confessed.

Radic soon struck a deal: He would plead guilty to embezzlement and be released from prison. And prosecutors would drop nine other felony charges in exchange for Radic’s testimony.

Since Radic was not Smith’s pastor, the inmate’s incriminating statements are not protected by the usual confidentiality rules involving members of the clergy, Radic’s lawyer Michael Babitzke said.

And, of course, Radic became a blogger, and got a book deal:

As he awaited sentencing from the comfort of home, Radic started blogging about his personal life. He tried to solicit a literary agent for a tell-all book he called “SNITCH” and spelled out the details of how he fleeced his flock.

Describing the proposed memoir as “a kind of new Bible,” Radic wrote that “true-crime shall have a container in which to wallow, a boat which, when it embarks, will traverse the major oceans. Like an esoteric prayer, a Catholic confession, a Gregorian chant or a murderer’s insouciance, it will hum a tune inside one’s bones.”

Radic, who still lives in Ripon, did not find a buyer for “SNITCH,” but he did sign a deal last month to publish a book called “The Sound of Meat,” billed as a “(fairly) truthful” memoir.

The dude still lives in Ripon! What a jerk.

And the church?

The church got its title back last year, and parishioners have been able to worship there throughout the ordeal. But the church is still out tens of thousands of dollars lost in transaction fees, and has yet to recover title to the parsonage, which is owned by a real estate investor who bought it from Radic. The new pastor, Edwards, lives in a motor home.

Maybe some justice still in the works:

Radic still faces a number of lawsuits _ by the couple who bought the church, the title company that insured loans on the parsonage, the real estate investor and the former notary public who signed off on Radic’s fake deed for the parsonage.

As I understand it, that former notary was a friend of Radic who he took advantage of.

The article concludes:

“He’s very remorseful and regretful about the situation,” his lawyer said. “I think he made some egregious mistakes. But in an imperfect world … people behave imperfectly.”

Remorseful and regretful, huh? Right. Then donate the proceeds from your book deal to the people who have had to pay for your mistakes.

Thanks to The Reformed Chicks for the update to this story.

Tags: Ripon, California, Pastor Sells Church, Bad Christian

news, ethics, religion | 1 Comment »

Update: Welcome Right Girl readers! Thanks for stopping in! Oh, and, I’m up for coffee on Friday.

Below, I mentioned the “Israeli Apartheid Week” at U of T this past week. The culmination of the events was to take place on Saturday afternoon - a rally promoting a boycott of Chapters-Indigo, as, they supposedly support the IDF.

I made it over to the event, which occurred outside the Indigo on Bay and Bloor, and snapped a couple of shots. First the photos, and then some comments.

Plenty of police on hand, as you will see.

Somehow, the argument is made that the Chapters -Indigo Company is a partner with the IDF. That made me want to buy a book.

I was a little disappointed that the protesters occupied the side of the street with Tim Hortons. End coffee apartheid. Then again, there is a Starbucks inside Indigo…so, no big loss.

The photo above, and below, show signs that I have seen before.

And, there was a small, very small, counter-protest. They handed out flyers about the new mosque being built in Toronto, by a radical Imam. I arrived a little late, and wasn’t able to join them for too much. But, admiration goes to them.

A couple of thoughts:

The protest was pretty small. Maybe 100 people. If the news covers it, expect them to say that there were like 800 people there or something. But, there weren’t. Maybe 100.

Also, after attending a few of these now, it occurs to me that the same people come out to them. The woman leading the chanting, standing in the back of that pickup, I have heard her voice before. Unmistakable. She was, I believe, chanting at the pro-Hezbollah parade around Queen’s Park last July, and possibly at the Anti-Israel rally on Bloor last August. Also, some of the signs that appear in the photos above are recycled. I mean, if you have a good anti-Israel sign, why let it go to waste? So, I don’t know what that means…not recruiting a whole lot of new people maybe? That’s hopeful. Also, I think it probably goes without saying, they were shouting the same tired slogans that you hear at all of these events.

The counter protest - It was small, but they were cool. I talked to them for a few minutes, and am glad that someone showed up to stand for Israel. I was sorry that I arrived a bit late, and wasn’t able to participate more. Who organizes these counter protests, anyway? In any case, people walking by on the Indigo side of the street would stop and ask what the crowd across the street was all bent out of shape about. They got a good explanation of what the term “useful idiot” means from one of the women standing with the Israel crowd. It was pretty funny.

Finally, the police seemed to me to be pretty cool. After the rally, the officer who seemed to be in charge came to the pro-Israel side, and thanked everyone for being peaceful, for not crossing lines, and for having respect for the police that were there. He said that they were not there to take sides, but just to keep the peace. Then, many of the officers promptly went into Indigo to get a coffee at Starbucks.

Oh, and, it was cold. Really cold. Especially for a California boy like me. Maybe about -8 C, with wind…Bay St. wind. All the Canadians will call me a wuss, but that’s alright.

So, until next time…Support the IDF, buy a book from Chapters-Indigo.

Related Posts:
Protest Craziness:
Toronto’s Pro-Hezbollah, Anti-Israel Rally (August 2006)
Hezbollah in Toronto (July 2006)
Some More U of T Craziness:
Ontario Taskforce to Study Islamophobia
UofT “Social Justice” Events

Update: A good post about the Israeli Apartheid claims at Israellycool.

politics, U of T, Toronto, protest photos | 6 Comments »

From the AP:

The House measure disapproves of Bush’s decision to increase troop strength, and pledges that Congress will “support and protect” the troops.

How’s that for double-speak? Just how does “support and protect,” go along with disapproving of increasing troop strength? Shouldn’t it be self-evident that sending in reinforcements is an act of support and protection? But, then again, that’s just common sense talking.

Supporters of the nonbinding resolution included 229 Democrats and 17 Republicans — fewer GOP defections than Democrats had hoped to get and the White House and its allies had feared. Two Democrats joined 180 Republicans in opposition.

From the FoxNews article - Democrat declares defeat:

“What we now have in Iraq is a defeat. We cannot achieve the illusions of the Bush administration that we will be able to create a stable unified liberal democracy in Iraq that is pro-American,” said Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif. “Instead, we have sectarian fighting, death squads and a disabled Middle East that threatens to be engulfed by the nightmare that we have unleashed.”

Yep, that’s the way to strike fear into the heart of our enemies - “Um…yeah. It’s too hard, so, we give up.” What a slap in the face to our troops.

And, so, the defunding of the Iraq war, begins:

Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., who chairs the House panel that oversees military spending, said he plans to introduce legislation that would end Bush’s plan by setting limits on which troops can be sent and would prevent them from being sent back too soon or too poorly equipped. Troops going overseas for another tour would have to stay in the United States at least one year before being redeployed.

The roll call for the vote is here, if you care to know which Republicans crossed the aisle.

Disgraceful, if you ask me.

Update: Ian at Hot Air has more, including a listing of the Republicans who voted for, and he points to their contact info.

news, politics | No Comments »

Please, tell me this isn’t true.

Young Parisian corset maker Sylvain Nuffer began cutting, stitching and boning corsets for men four years ago

…

“I felt frustrated by the lack of choice of clothing for men,” he told AFP. “I made one for myself and they kind of multiplied.”

pop culture, news | No Comments »

So, someone has come up with a list of good websites to help “church communicators,” whatever those are. At the article, we find:

Below, you’ll find 20 killer sites that can inspire you, save you time and help you do your job right. In short, they make your life easier. Isn’t the Web a wonderful thing?

Or, you know, you could try reading a homiletics text book, and actually learn how to preach. But, no, that might be too difficult. Or maybe too academic, which newer church movements tend not to like all that much. Or, maybe not “killer” enough. I don’t know.

Note the Warning, however:

WARNING: Don’t get too plugged in and disconnect from the world around you. In addition to checking out these recommended sites, make it a habit to read your friends’ blogs (yes, your non-church communicator friends). Staying in touch online can help your flesh-and-blood relationships. I also suggest checking out some local news, whether it’s the local paper online or a local-interest blog. You can’t communicate effectively if you’re not tuned into what’s happening in your own backyard.

Not a mention of anything at all that will actually teach you how to teach/preach/communicate effectively. Just, don’t get too plugged in. You can’t communicate effectively if you’re not tuned in, I mean, if you don’t know how to communicate.

I’m just sayin’

theology, internet, communication | 1 Comment »

I was perusing the U of T Student’s Union website the other day, (formerly known as the Student’s Administrative Council), and came across this, somewhat dated, bit of material.

Dating from October last year, it seems like it is a dual letter writing campaign, with form letters and everything. The first is, of course, a letter writing campaign condemning a speaker who appeared at the university. The second supports a speaker who happens to hold the exact opposite viewpoint. The issue: homosexuality. Screencaps, in case the page expires:

Notice the condescension of placing quotation marks around the work “ethicist,” as well as the description of the professors views as “controversial,” despite the fact that they are probably representative of the vast majority of North Americans. Whatever. The really stupid part is what comes next.

Note that the guy they support is drooled over: “an accomplished and inspirational member of the community.” Which community? Whose community? It strikes me that liberals never apply the critical questions to themselves that they so often apply to conservatives in order to highlight perceived domination or bigotry. But I digress…

The SAC supports a guy who conforms to their perspective. In fact, they want to give him an honorary degree in order to “offset an ugly precedent.” Whatever. But, if they are supposed to represent all students, (and, they take fees from all students…compulsorily) then why can’t both viewpoints appear? Why can’t we uphold a tradition of open, honest, and free debate? Why is there, in the SAC’s world, no room for both views at the table of intellectual consideration?

Nope, at U of T, freedom of speech applies when the speaker is saying what the liberal buffoons spending my tuition’s “incidental fees” want the speaker to say.

Oh, and, by the way. Who’s behind this? Our old friend, the “VP of Equity.“

religion, U of T, Toronto | No Comments »

And update to the story, below, about the two-headed calf born in Virginia.

Yeah, she didn’t make it. Such is the fate of the vast majority of genetic mutations.

“She was just laying there like she was sound asleep,” he said. “It broke our hearts.”

Unfortunately, the head will not make it into a Grade 10 Biology class. Instead, the little calf that never had much of a chance will be stuffed, and displayed by Ripley’s Believe it or Not.

So long, little Star. We hardly knew (the both of) you.

random, news | No Comments »

Two stories in which the news clipping must be seen to be believed.

The first, at The Jawa Report, relates to male shrinkage: Swimmer Trapped By Beach Balls.

Yes…those beach balls.

The second, relating to jihad rage stupidity, over at Something and Half of Something: Muslim Worshipers Stone Their Own Buses.

Click through to see the actual clippings.

random, news, religion | No Comments »

Zoos selling animal sex tours. Sweet.

Money quotes:

Among the things Chandler, 30, and her date learned on their “Wild at Heart” zoo tour: Male pigs have a unique corkscrew endowment and impressive, um, output; manatees have orgies and don’t really care if their partners are male or female; and a male porcupine has only one four-hour window a year to mate — very carefully, of course.

and

“Manatees are not particular,” Nelson said. “We have only males right now and they don’t seem to care.”

and, finally…

Her most memorable statistic: “whales have like 10-foot-long whatevers.”

Happy Valentine’s Day!

(via a commenter at hot air)

pop culture, funny | No Comments »

I have no idea why, but for some reason I had no idea this was happening next week. I guess I have been just too holed up in my office to notice anything that is going on around me for the past couple of weeks. Anything, except of course how freaking cold it is.

But, thank goodness for LGF, who points out what is going on at U of T next week: Hatefest at University of Toronto

It seems that there is scheduled a full week of Israel hatred here at the University. At the event website (the Arab Student’s Collective), we are told that:

This year marks the thirtieth anniversary of the International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid; shamefully Israel, Canada, the USA, UK, Australia or New Zealand are not signatories to this convention. We have organized Israeli Apartheid Week to coincide with this anniversary, as well as with Black History Month in North America, and Aboriginal Awareness Week in Canada. Throughout this week we hope to show the commonalities shared by indigenous populations ravaged by the settler-colonial strategy of Apartheid.

So, basically, we are to believe that the Palestinians have been treated like “indigenous populations,” such as blacks and First Nations, and are the victims of a “settler-colonial strategy of Apartheid”? Right. I just don’t see how the analogy holds…

Further, from the description of the event:

Contrary to the claims made by the critics of Israeli Apartheid Week, our analysis in no way targets Jewish people, or supports religious fundamentalism. On the contrary, the goal we strive for is a united, secular and democratic Palestine for all of its people regardless of religion or race, including the Palestinian refugees ethnically cleansed from their homeland in the process of creating the Israeli state. This is the basis for our slogan “One Person, One Vote, One State – the Refugees Will Return.”

“In no way targets Jewish people” - Which is why the logo for the event excludes Israel from the map altogether. Come on. Just come out and say it.

Further, from the poster/schedule of events, slated for Saturday night:

Intifada, huh? Yeah, that’s not a term that raises issues of violence, hatred of Jewish people, or religious fundamentalism. Not at all…

I will, at the very least, try to get by the rally slated for Saturday at Dundas Square, and see what happens. If anything interesting, I will post the pictures here.

Between “Xpression Against Oppression,” events which were blatantly anti-US and anti-Israel, that taskforce against “Islamophobia” that I am paying for with my incidental fees, and the pro-Hezbollah rally (and here, and here) last Summer (not strictly U of T, but why split hairs…), and now this, the evidence shows that U of T is increasingly a hotbed of anti-Israel, anti-semitic, sentiment.

And I’m lucky enough to study right in the middle of it!

Correction: I was looking at the wrong schedule…LGF pointed to last year’s schedule. This year, the Saturday rally is set to be about protesting Chapter’s/Indigo, and is scheduled to be outside the Israeli Consulate. Why is it that these anti-Israel rallies are always on Saturday, when observant Jews are observing Sabbath?

Consequently, the quotes displayed above, are also from last year’s website/event. However, this year’s isn’t all that much different. Here is the link to this year’s website and schedule of events: End Israeli Apartheid 2007

Further, it should be noted that coordinated events are planned in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, as well as in the UK: Oxford, Cambridge, London, and in the US in New York City. The love is contagious…

religion, U of T, Toronto | 5 Comments »