Egypt: Coptic Christians Willing To Die For The Witness Of Jesus, ‘We’re Ready To Be With Christ, To Live With Christ’

1 Peter 4:13, “But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.”

By DAVID PINAULT, America Magazine – “My sharpest memory from Cairo is what my driver said: al-Masih biygarribna, ‘Christ is testing us.’ I’d hired Sami to drive me around the city. As soon as I saw on his wrist the washma, a faded tattoo in the shape of a cross, I knew he was a Copt, a member of Egypt’s Christian minority, a community that predates the Muslim presence by centuries.

Since the early 1980s I had been to Egypt many times as a student of Arabic, as a researcher and as a tour guide on Nile cruise-boats. But this visit in 2012 was my first time back since the onset of the Arab Spring and Egypt’s ‘Lotus Revolution.’

As we drove, Sami told me about the persecution Copts endure at the hands of Egyptian Salafists. Salafists are Muslims who want an Islamist government in which the harshest interpretations of Islamic law (shariah) are privileged at the expense of both non-Muslims and progressive-minded Muslims. ‘Things had been less worse for us under Mubarak,’ Sami said. Hosni Mubarak, Egypt’s authoritarian ruler until his ouster in the revolution, had suppressed Islamist radicals. But now, said Sami, the Salafists feel bold enough to burn churches, incite anti-Coptic riots and call openly for the expulsion of Christians.

I told him the statistics: in 2011 and 2012, since the revolution’s onset, over 100,000 Copts have fled Egypt. ‘Well, I’m not going to leave,’ Sami insisted. ‘Christ is testing us. I tell my friends to stay. Christ could end this suffering, this trial, at any time. How will you feel, I tell my friends, if you’re in Canada instead of Egypt when Christ returns?’

I pondered this apocalyptic thought as we skirted Tahrir Square, the scene of recurrent confrontations between demonstrators and Egypt’s military, and passed the blackened ruins of the Institute of Egypt.” Read more.

Pro-Muslim Brotherhood Obama Administration To Boost Egyptian Economy By Forgiving Egypt’s $1 Billion Debt

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” (Albert Einstein, 1879-1955)

America’s tax-payer/China-borrowed dollars once again hard at work trying to buy peace in a region that longs for Islamic conquest and the death of all infidels …

By STEVEN LEE MYERS, The New York Times – “WASHINGTON — Nearly 16 months after first pledging to help Egypt’s failing economy, the Obama administration is nearing an agreement with the country’s new government to relieve $1 billion of its debt as part of an American and international assistance package intended to bolster its transition to democracy, administration officials said.

The administration’s efforts, delayed by Egypt’s political turmoil and by wariness in Washington about new leaders emerging from its first free elections, gained new urgency in recent weeks, even as the United States risks losing influence and investment opportunities to countries like China, which President Mohamed Morsi chose for his first official visit outside of the Middle East.

In addition to the debt assistance, the administration has thrown its support behind a $4.8 billion loan being negotiated between Egypt and the International Monetary Fund. Last week, it dispatched the first of two delegations to work out details of the proposed debt assistance, as well as $375 million in financing and loan guarantees for American financiers who invest in Egypt and a $60 million investment fund for Egyptian businesses.

The assistance underscores the importance of shoring up Egypt at a time of turmoil and change across the Middle East, from the relatively peaceful uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia to the still-unfinished transition in Libya, and from the showdown over Iran’s nuclear program to the war in Syria. Given Egypt’s influence in the Arab world, the officials said, its economic recovery and political stability could have a profound influence on other nations in transition and ease wariness in Israel about the tumultuous political changes under way.” Read more.

Flashback: ‘Egypt Will Never Be the Friend, Partner or Ally of the Zionist Entity, The First Enemy of Egypt’ – “It’s amazing what ‘freedom’ has brought to Egypt. Rejecting $1 billion in US aid would almost be laughable, if the possible implications were not so serious. Last month the Muslim Brotherhood had apparently come to the conclusion that it was Halal to extort the United States by threatening, for all intents and purposes, to wage war against Israel if America cut off aid to Egypt. Now they’re threatening to reject it all together, and all this while making it loud and clear that Egypt will ‘never be the friend, partner or ally of the Zionist entity’ …” Read more.

Oregon Reports First Animal Anthrax Case In Over 50 Years

BY ROBERT HERRIMAN, Examiner – “For the first time in more than half a century, the state of Oregon is reporting the cause of death of some steer was from naturally occurring anthrax.

According to an Oregon Health Authority (OHA) news release Friday, one steer died from a herd in Klamath County. Oregon Department of Agriculture officials have been working to protect neighboring cattle. The steer identified with anthrax died August 22. Two other steers died at around the same time.

Oregon health officials say the anthrax cases pose no human public threat, the task will be to prevent cattle and other animals on neighboring ranches from being infected…

According to Oregon state veterinarian, Brad Leamaster, D.V.M., ‘The risk is minimal outside the affected ranch. Oregon has not had an anthrax case in animals in more than 50 years, but anthrax outbreaks are not uncommon in other parts of the Western United States.'” Read more.

Flashback: Colorado: First Anthrax Outbreak In 31 Years Kills Dozens Of Cows On Logan County Ranch – “Two more cows have died from anthrax exposure in northeast Colorado, expanding the first outbreak of the disease in the state in 31 years to three ranches. Last week, 60 cows died on a Logan County ranch, where anthrax was positively identified in one animal. Officials say it’s likely they all died of the disease. The Colorado Department of Agriculture said Wednesday the additional cows were on two separate adjacent ranches. Both died from the disease.” Read more.

Canada: Ministry Of The Environment Investigate Hundreds Of Dead Fish Washing Ashore Lake Erie Beaches

By Alex Weber, London Free Press – “Beach goers looking to take advantage of the last weekend of summer were startled to find hundreds of dead fish washed up along the shore of Lake Erie, Saturday afternoon.

Kate Jordan, spokesperson for the Ministry of the Environment said ministry officials were made aware of the dead and dying fish late Saturday morning and are investigating.

Though Jordan said there was no visible sheen on the water suggesting anything had spilled, ministry officials detected a strange odour and notified the Elgin County Health Unit as a precaution.

‘They’re trying to track the source of the odour,’ Jordan said.

It’s not clear yet whether the fish are dying because of some natural environmental phenomena or something man-made.

Hundreds of dead and dying fish were spotted at the Port Glasgow Marina by a local fisherman taking his boat out for the afternoon. He said he boated about 3 kilometres out into the lake and again saw hundreds of dead fish on the surface of the water. Others he said were still alive, but looked like they were ‘gasping for air,’ and dying.

The fishermen said the fish ranged in size and type.

Dead fish were also seen at Duttona Beach about 20 kilometres southwest of Port Glasgow.

Callers there reported seeing thousands of fish floating dead in the lake and scattered along the stony shore line.

‘The stench is is just disgusting,’ the callers said.” Source – London Free Press.

Illinois: Virus Previously Unknown To Area Kills Hundreds Of Deer Around Chicago

Associated Press – “CHICAGO — Hundreds of deer in the Chicago area have been killed by a virus previously unknown in the area.

The (Arlington Heights) Daily Herald reports ( http://bit.ly/QbiCIM) that roughly 200 deer in Cook County have died. Six suspected cases have been reported in Kane County.

The disease is known as EHD, or epizootic hemorrhagic disease. It’s a virus that kills deer in about a week and is spread among them by bites from flies known as midges.

The disease cannot be passed to humans or pets.

Cook County Forest Preserve District wildlife biologist Chris Anchor says the virus is typically found in other parts of the Midwest and in the Northeast.

He suspects the mild winter and hot summer helped it spread to northern Illinois. The first case was two weeks ago.” Source – The Sacramento Bee.

Flashback: Virus Killing Hundreds Of Deer In Michigan, Oklahoma, Kansas, Indiana, Iowa, Arkansas … – “Hundreds of deer in eight Michigan counties have died from a viral disease that is on the rise nationwide because of hot, dry weather, state officials said Thursday… ‘We are seeing a large die-off of deer in local areas. To date we have over 900 reports of dead deer across all (eight) counties,’ stated Tom Cooley, DNR wildlife biologist and pathologist.” Read more.