The Controversy Of Zion And The Time Of Jacob’s Trouble (Free Book)

Tip of the hat to Joel Richardson over on Joel’s Trumpet. “For a limited time, in honor of the anniversary of Israel, The Controversy of Zion and the Time of Jacob’s Trouble (the e-book) is presently free! If you have not read this book, get it now. Although only released last year, it is, in my opinion, already a genuine classic.” Click here to download the Kindle Edition over on Amazon.com. (Kindle Reader not required. You can download and read the free e-book on your PC/laptop using the Kindle Cloud Reader, or via the Kindle app for your tablet or smartphone.)

Update: The Kindle Edition has now been updated to its regular price of $9.99 …

Uncovering Early Islam – New Books Question The Conventional History Of Mohammed And Islam

When the Prophet Daniel wrote in 7:25 that Antichrist would “think to change times and laws”, it’s clear in my mind that the “laws” were a direct reference to the desired implementation and subjugation of Sharia Law upon non-Muslims. But thinking “to change times” may not have simply been referring to changing Greenwich Mean Time with “Mecca Time” or replacing the Gregorian Calendar of the West for the Hijri Calendar of Islam. It may have also been referring to something that we’re witnessing even this very day in the world of Islam: the rewriting of history …

By Daniel Pipes, National Review Online – “The year 1880 saw the publication of a book that ranks as the single most important study of Islam ever. Written in German by a young Jewish Hungarian scholar, Ignaz Goldziher, and bearing the nondescript title Muslim Studies (Muhammedanische Studien), it argued that the hadith, the vast body of sayings and actions attributed to the Islamic prophet Mohammed, lacked historical validity. Rather than provide reliable details about Mohammed’s life, the hadith, Goldziher established, emerged from debates two or three centuries later about the nature of Islam.

(This is like today’s Americans debating the Constitution’s much-disputed Second Amendment, concerning the right to bear arms, by claiming newly discovered oral transmissions going back to George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Obviously, their quotations would inform us not what was said 225 years ago but about current views.)

Since Goldziher’s day, scholars have been actively pursuing his approach, deepening and developing it into a full-scale account of early Islamic history, one that disputes nearly every detail of Mohammed’s life as conventionally understood — born in a.d. 570, first revelation in 610, flight to Medina in 622, death in 632. But this revisionist history has remained a virtual secret among specialists. For example, Patricia Crone and Michael Cook, authors of the synoptic Hagarism (Cambridge University Press, 1977), deliberately wrote obliquely, thereby hiding their message.

Now, however, two scholars have separately ended this secrecy: Tom Holland with In the Shadow of the Sword, and Robert Spencer with Did Muhammad Exist? As their titles suggest, Spencer is the bolder author, and so is my focus here.

In a well-written, sober, and clear account, he begins by demonstrating the inconsistencies and mysteries in the conventional account concerning Mohammed’s life, the Koran, and early Islam. For example, whereas the Koran insists that Mohammed did not perform miracles, the hadith ascribes him thaumaturgic powers

Muslim Persecution Of Christians: April 2012, ‘Has Come To Regions Not Normally Associated With It’

Matthew 10:22, “And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.”

By Raymond Ibrahim, Gatestone Institute – “‘500 Muslims had gathered and were watching in amusement as the extremists chased and harassed the Christians, attempting to murder them all, for about 90 minutes.’

As Easter, one of the highest Christian holidays, comes in April, Christian persecution in Muslim nations—from sheer violence to oppressive laws—was rampant: In Nigeria, where jihadis have expressed their desire to expunge all traces of Christianity, a church was bombed during Easter Sunday, killing some 50 worshippers; in Turkey, a pastor was beaten by Muslims immediately following Easter service and threatened with death unless he converted to Islam; and in Iran, Easter Sunday saw 12 Christians stand trial as ‘apostates.’

The persecution of Christians has come to regions not normally associated with it. As in Nigeria, Muslim militants are now also running amok in Timbuktu, Mali—beheading a Christian leader and threatening other Christians with similar treatment. Sharia law has been imposed, churches are being destroyed, and Christians are fleeing Timbuktu in mass.

Categorized by theme, April’s assemblage of Muslim persecution of Christians around the world includes (but is not limited to) the following accounts, listed in alphabetical order by country, not severity:

Church Attacks

Azerbaijan: A church in the Muslim-majority nation has ‘become the first religious community to be liquidated by a court since the country’s harsh new ‘Religion Law,’ requiring all previously registered religious institutions to re-register, came into force in 2009. Greater Grace Protestant Church in the capital, Baku, ‘was stripped of its registration at a 15-minute hearing on 25 April. The decision, which was made in the absence of any church representatives, makes any activity by the church illegal and subject to punishment.’

Oklahoma: Dead Fish Washing Ashore At Arcadia Lake, ‘It’s Kind Of Scary’

By Adam Mertz, KFOR-TV – “EDMOND, Okla. — Wildlife officials are trying to determine why dead fish are washing up on shore at Arcadia Lake.

Campers and fishers contacted officials after they noticed some fish ‘belly up’ in the water Wednesday.

‘When the fish kind of just start popping up like that, it’s kind of scary,’ fisherman David Cox said.

A biologist was at the lake taking water samples that will now be sent to a lab.

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation said the dead fish all appear to be white bass.

The fish were found near the south side of the lake.

‘Fish kills are not that uncommon but usually they might take place later in the year when it is hot and dry and there is a problem with oxygenation in the water and that’s usually a typical cause,’ Michael Bergin said, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.

It is still unclear what may have killed the fish.

Officials expect the results from the lab later this week.” Source – KFOR-TV Channel 4.

Israel: Muslims Attack Israeli Medical First Responders While Treating Injured Muslims, ‘I’ve Never Experienced Anything Like This’

In a culture built upon hate, no good deed goes unpunished …

By Akiva Novick, YNet News – “An emergency medical crew narrowly escaped being lynched this week while responding on the scene of an injurious car accident near Jerusalem, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Friday.

The fateful call came on Tuesday; a car carrying a group of Palestinian youths from east Jerusalem swerved off the road and hit a safety barrier near the village of Hizma.

Upon reaching on the scene the crew began treating two young women who were hurt in the crash. But their efforts were interrupted with the arrival of the victims’ family members, whose misguided attempts to defend the women quickly turned violent.

‘Suddenly, a Volkswagen came to a screeching halt and three Arab youths emerged,’ said S., a paramedic. ‘They started to curse and tried to discern who hurt the women.’

The crew’s account of the accident failed to pacify the enraged men, who upped the verbal attack.

‘They started cursing the IDF, Magen David Adom and everything affiliated with the state,’ S. said. ‘They called us ‘maniacs and f***ing Jews.’ We were shocked by how angry they were.’

Meanwhile, more Palestinians gathered around them. When some began hitting the ambulance, the paramedic took charge of protecting his crew mates – a female driver and a 16-year-old male volunteer.

‘I told them to lock themselves in the ambulance while I remained outside to deal with the situation,’ S. said, ‘The attackers cursed and pushed me. At one point more than ten people surrounded me and began punching me in the ribs and the head.'” Read more.

Tensions Rise: Iranian Protesters Denounce Saudi-Bahrain Union Plan, Cleric: ‘Muslims Around The World And In Iran Will Never Tolerate It’

“May 18 (Reuters) – Thousands of Iranians rallied on Friday against plans for union between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, state television showed, and an influential cleric denounced the idea as an ‘ill-fated plot’ that will never be tolerated by Muslims.

Tension between Iran and U.S.-allied Gulf Arab states has run high in recent months with Arab leaders accusing Tehran of fomenting Shi’ite Muslim unrest in Bahrain – a charge that Shi’ite Iran and the protesters deny.

The dispute worsened when Tehran denounced efforts by six Gulf Arab states at a summit earlier this week to forge closer political and military union, largely to counter Iran’s growing regional power. The talks ended inconclusively.

In the run-up to the Riyadh meeting, speculation was rife that an initial union would be announced between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, where anti-government protests led by majority Shi’ites have gripped the island state since last year.

‘This plot is an ill-fated plot that is taking place with the American and Zionist (Israeli) green light but they should know that the people of Bahrain and the region, Muslims around the world and in Iran will never tolerate it,’ cleric Kazem Sediqi said in a Friday sermon broadcast live on state radio.

Iranian state television aired footage of thousands of people holding rallies around the country and chanting slogans against the ruling royal families in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia to protest against the proposed Manama-Riyadh union.” Read more.

Flashback: Walid Shoebat: Iran To Obtain Nuclear Weapons, Will Destroy Saudi Arabia – “… if you look at the Bible, remember, the Harlot is destroyed by two entities. By … the hand of My people, Israel, and then you have in Isaiah 21, Arise O Elam to destroy what? Arabia. Elam is Iran. Persia will destroy Arabia. I believe Arabia is the Harlot of Babylon. If you look at the Bible — when you read Babylon in the Bible — all the names of the cities, entities, regions within those [areas of] Babylon in the Bible, you will never find any ancient name of any Babylonian city … Every single vicinity [mentioned in Isaiah 21] is in Arabia. The burden against Dumah. Dumah is in Arabia… Dedan, Kedar, those are all in Arabia. It’s born from Babylon. That’s why it’s called the daughter of Babylon. We need to focus on Saudi Arabia because it is mentioned heavily in the Bible.”

Mexico: Blasts Continue To Menace Residents Around Popocatepetl Volcano, Ash Thrown 2.5 Miles Into Air

“Fresh blasts from Mexico’s Popocatepetl volcano spewed fiery rock and caustic ash over residents around the Mexico City suburb of Puebla, already on edge after weeks of ongoing eruption.

Ash soared 2.5 miles into the sky during early Saturday’s explosion, forcing a local airport to close.

Residents of the nearby village of Santiago Xalitzintla rushed into the town square during the middle of the night as terrifying rumblings and blasts caused buildings to shudder.

Last week residents in eastern parts of Mexico City were provided with face masks to protect them against ash raining over the region from Popocatepetl’s blasts.

Prevailing winds have so far spared the capital district from significant ash falls.

Popocatepetl has become increasingly active during 2012.

A major eruption in 2000 forced 50,000 people to evacuate in three states that surround the towering mountain.” Source – Earthweek.com.

Respiratory Diseases and Infections due to Mexican Volcano’s Activity – “Acute respiratory infections increased by three percent among the inhabitants of the southeastern area of the State of Mexico, who are exposed to ash thrown by the Popocatepetl volcano, said the Ministry of Health. The head of the Department of Epidemiological Surveillance of the Mexico State Health Institute, Hector Resendiz, said the increase in these diseases has occurred in children under eight years old and adults over 60. According to the state agency, residents of Amecameca, Ozumba, Tepetlixpa, Ecatzingo and Atlautla are those who mostly received medical attention after April 21 when volcanic dust began to fall in those municipalities that are closest to Popocatépetl on the Mexico State’s side.” Read more.