Tag Archives: Peace

Syrian Opposition Rejects Russia’s Peace Plan; Syrian Forces Take Down ISIS Siege

On Wednesday, Russia drafted a peace proposal to solve the Syrian crisis, but it was rejected by Syrian opposition forces due to the fact that the draft made no reference to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad stepping down – a key opposition demand.

“The Syrian people have never accepted the dictatorship of Assad and they will not accept that it is reintroduced or reformulated in another way,” Monzer Akbik, member of the Western-backed Syrian National Coalition, told Reuters.

Reuters and the Associated Press were able to receive the drafted documents that stated the Kremlin asked for Damascus and unspecified opposition groups to agree on launching a constitutional reform that would take approximately 18 months. Afterward, there would be an early presidential election. However, the document does not bar Assad from participating in the election or relieving him of his position during the 18 month reform.

Russia denied that any such document is being prepared before the Vienna meeting this week where world leaders will discuss international peace talks for a second time.

Russia began intervening in the Syrian conflict six weeks ago when rebels were getting closer to taking over government-held areas. Since then, the Kremlin has stepped up its airstrike campaign and diplomatic efforts.

A member of the coalition’s political committee, Hadi al-Bahra, stated that in order for there to be peace, any talks will have to have more assurances and guarantees. He added that there could not be any elections under the current system.

“How can the elections be fair when the citizens inside Syria are afraid of retaliation from the security services of the regime?” he said.

Meanwhile in Syria, Fox News reported that Syrian government forces were able to take down an ISIS siege that was attempting to take over a Syrian military air base. ISIS has been attempting to take over this specific base since 2013. Between the troops in the Syrian base, the new forces that launched the large-scale offensive, and the Russian airstrikes, state TV reports confirmed that dozens of ISIS fighters were killed and hundreds of extremist bodies were found around the base. The breaking of the siege marks the first major achievement by Assad’s soldiers since Russia began their airstrikes in September.

Palestinian President Says His People No Longer Bound By Peacekeeping Oslo Accord

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas announced at the United Nations General Assembly that Palestinians are no longer bound by the 1995 Oslo accord that established the foundation for a two-state solution because Israel did not implement it. This announcement has risen even more between Palestine and Israel and has sent Middle Eastern negotiations into uncharted territory.

The Oslo Accord was a peacekeeping agreement between Israel and Palestine that stated Palestine would be independent and free of Israeli occupation by 1999. Since then, Israel set up three areas in the West Bank for transitional governance.

“As long as Israel refuses to commit to the agreements signed with us, which render us an authority without real powers, and as long as Israel refuses to cease settlement activities and to release of the fourth group of Palestinian prisoners in accordance with our agreements, they leave us no choice but to insist that we will not remain the only ones committed to the implementation of these agreements, while Israel continuously violates them,” Abbas said.

Nadia Hijab, a senior fellow at the Institute for Palestine Studies, says one of the implications could be for countries to implement legally bound sanctions against Israel for not meeting its commitments.

“The EU would have to take a much further stand in labeling products that emerge from settlements. They could have to ban settlement products altogether and be even legally inclined to sanction Israel,” she said.

Other analysts believe that Abbas’ announcement would not change anything. Aaron David Miller, a Middle East expert and scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Institute in Washington, stated that the announcement was “an expression of frustration and an effort to create a new point of political departure for his international drive for recognition.”

The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel stated that Abbas’ declaration was “deceitful.” The director of Israel’s Foreign Ministry, Dore Gold, stated in an interview with the New York Times that “Israel does uphold its agreements.”

Two Faces Of Humanity Seen In Baltimore

It wasn’t all a gang of rioters in Baltimore last night.

The gang members who Baltimore officials said were banding together to attack police went to the media with a message that they didn’t call a truce so they could team up to attack the police; they were teaming up to stop the rioting.

A group of Bloods gang members told WBAL-TV that they had been attacked on the streets when they were stopping rioters from damaging buildings and businesses by police who did not realize they were attempting to stop the riots.

A member of the BGF gang said that the groups were “black men united for justice” and that people need to stop believing everything they’re hearing in the media because they’re tired of being blamed for the rioting when in this case they’re not involved with the crimes.

Others stepped up to stop the rioting and protests in an attempt to bring calm to the city of Baltimore…including the family of Freddie Gray.  Gray’s family, clergy and residents of the area banded together to stop the violence.

“I want them all to go back home,” said the Rev. Jamal Bryant.  “It’s disrespect to the family. The family was very clear — we’ve been saying it all along — today there was absolutely no protest, no demonstration.”

Members of a Christian church formed a human wall as well as other faith groups.

CNN showed video of a parent coming into the middle of the rioting and grabbing her son, forcing him to go home.

“I wish I had more parents that took charge of their kids out there tonight,” Police Commissioner Anthony Batts said.

The darker side of the city was shown all night through looting, arson and violence.  A drug treatment center and senior center that was under construction was burned to the ground by protesters.  A CVS pharmacy, a locally-owned pharmacy, liquor store and multiple cars were robbed and burned.

Almost 200 Hollywood Stars Condemn Hamas

A statement has been released by almost 200 Hollywood stars condemning the “ideologies of hatred” that drive the terrorist group Hamas along with a call for peace in Gaza.

“We, the undersigned, are saddened by the devastating loss of life endured by Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza. We are pained by the suffering on both sides of the conflict and hope for a solution that brings peace to the region,” the statement begins.

“While we stand firm in our commitment to peace and justice, we must also stand firm against ideologies of hatred and genocide which are reflected in Hamas’ charter, Article 7 of which reads, ‘There is a Jew hiding behind me, come on and kill him!’  Hamas cannot be allowed to rain rockets on Israeli cities, nor can it be allowed to hold its own people hostage. Hospitals are for healing, not for hiding weapons. Schools are for learning, not for launching missiles. Children are our hope, not our human shields.”

The document was published on the website Creative Community For Peace.

Stars that signed the statement included Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwartenegger and Seth Rogan.  The statement even had far-left wing celebrities that normally do not support conservative issues like creator of “The West Wing” Aaron Sorkin and atheist activist and commentator Bill Maher.

The group bills themselves as “an organization of prominent entertainment industry executives devoted to using art and music to build bridges for peace.”

Pope Appeals For Peace In New Year’s Message

Pope Francis made an passionate plea for peace as part of his New Year’s address saying that too many people are indifferent to war, violence and injustice.

The Pope hoped that the world would listen to his “cry for peace” saying that the heart of humanity has gone too far astray from God.

According to Vatican officials, Pope Francis strayed from his prepared text when addressing the issue of depravity in men’s hearts.

“What on earth is happening in the hearts of men?” the Pope declared.  “What on earth is happening in the heart of humanity?  It’s time to stop!”

“Everyone must be committed to building a society that is truly just and caring.”

The Vatican announced the Pope will choose the first batch of cardinals to join the exclusive group that will pick his one day successor on February 22.  The cardinals being considered reportedly will reflect the Pope’s desire for the church to move away from its previous pompousness and focus more on caring for the poor and afflicted.

Pope Francis Calls For Atheists To Join In Peace

Pope Francis divested from his prepared text during his Christmas address to the world, calling on atheists to walk away from their hostility toward people of faith and join with them in seeking peace for the world.

The Pope said that atheists can join with believers of all religions for a “homemade peace” that can spread around the world.

“I invite even non-believers to desire peace. (Join us) with your desire, a desire that widens the heart. Let us all unite, either with prayer or with desire, but everyone, for peace,” the Pope said.

Much of the Pope’s address focused on bringing peace to the world. He specifically spoke of places that have suffered significant turmoil or civil war during 2013 such as Syria and South Sudan.

“Wars shatter and hurt so many lives!” the Pope declared. He went on to speak of how wars impact the most vulnerable in a society such as children, the elderly, the sick and battered women.

The Pope reminded all that Jesus was the light of the world and that God can bring peace to our land.

“God is peace: let us ask him to help us to be peacemakers each day, in our life, in our families, in our cities and nations, in the whole world,” Pope Francis said.

You’re Not Free-falling!

Most people associate free-falling with an exhilarating experience that many skydivers crave. Jumping out of an airplane without deploying your parachute until you absolutely must, is an example of free-falling through the air. I’ve been told that there is no feeling like it – and I believe it! The only control you have when you are free-falling is over the ripcord, hopefully.

Our recent visit from Bobby Conner was very eventful to say the least. One of the things we talked about was how I had felt so out of control in my recent bout with stress – stress that landed me in the hospital and produced some frightening symptoms. I had no idea where to find the ripcord as my body’s defenses plummeted. Continue reading →

Staying in Perfect Peace as the World Goes Wild

I’m pretty sure that most people are feeling the pressure of a world gone wild, especially those who are a little older and can remember a safer, more stable world of a few decades ago. I know that what I’m seeing happen around the world in social issues, weather related events, global unrest and violence and the general hostile climate of our world is the stuff that makes people crazy and causes some to lose hope.

And, if our hope was only in this world, we may as well lose it. Continue reading →