Update: US company removes Bible references from 'Jesus sights'

AN American company says it will stop adding biblical references to the so-called Jesus sights for rifles used by Australian soldiers.

Trijicon triggered an international uproar when US soldiers in Afghanistan discovered that letters and figures they thought were simply stock or model numbers referred to passages from the Bible.

One example was JN8:12 which turned out to be a reference to chapter eight, verse 12 in the Book of John: “When Jesus spoke again to the people he said ‘I am the light of the world’.”

The company has now issued a statement saying it had stopped putting the inscriptions on its sights.

It said it would also give the Pentagon, free of charge, 100 free kits which could be used to remove the references from sights that had already been issued to troops.

The ADF has several hundred of the sights, which are prized by elite troops for their accuracy over long range, and it is now working out how to remove the scriptural links from them with wrecking the equipment.

Their use by US, British and New Zealand troops has raised alarm among military leaders that it could reinforce views among extremists that the West is waging a crusade against Islam.

The Michigan-based family-owned company said it had for two generations been working to provide America's military men and women with high quality, and innovative sighting systems.

“Our effort is simple and straightforward: to help our servicemen and women win the war on terror and come home safe to their families.

“As part of our faith and our belief in service to our country, Trijicon has put scripture references on our products for more than two decades.

“As long as we have men and women in danger, we will continue to do everything we can to provide them with both state-of-the-art technology and the never-ending support and prayers of a grateful nation.”

The ADF confirmed yesterday it had been unaware of the meaning of the inscription when the sights were issued to troops.

“The Department of Defence was unaware of the significance of the manufacturer's serial number,” the spokesman said. “The sights were procured because they provide mature technology which is highly reliable, in wide use by our allies and best meet Defence requirements. Soldiers are confident in the utility of the sight and the positive and proven effect which it is having on operations.”

The spokesman said Defence was conscious of the sensitivities over this issue and was assessing how to address them.

Another inscription was 2COR4:6, which is an apparent reference to Second Corinthians 4:6 of the New Testament. The passage reads: “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

The Australian

Row over 'biblical' weapons in Afghanistan

AUSTRALIAN special forces soldiers are using gunsights with biblical references etched on to them as they fight the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan.

The ADF has several hundred of the sights, which are prized by elite troops for their accuracy over long range.

Their use by US, British and New Zealand troops has raised alarm among military leaders that it could reinforce views among extremists that the West is waging a crusade against Islam.

The Australian Defence Force is investigating how to remove biblical references etched on to gunsights, without damaging the weapons.

The ADF and military authorities in the US, Britain and elsewhere thought the letters and numbers on the sights were simply stock or model numbers until a US soldier in Afghanistan complained to the Military Religious Freedom Foundation that the initials referred to passage from the Bible. One example was JN8:12 which turned out to be a reference to chapter eight, verse 12 in the Book of John: "When Jesus spoke again to the people he said 'I am the light of the world.

" 'Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life'."

While coalition soldiers were unaware of the significance of the initials, military officials quickly became alarmed that religious extremists could take some propaganda advantage from them being proof the West was waging a crusader war against Islam.

The ADF confirmed yesterday it had been unaware of the meaning of the inscription when the sights were issued to troops.

"The Department of Defence was unaware of the significance of the manufacturer's serial number," the spokesman said. "The sights were procured because they provide mature technology which is highly reliable, in wide use by our allies and best meet Defence requirements. Soldiers are confident in the utility of the sight and the positive and proven effect which it is having on operations."

The spokesman said Defence was conscious of the sensitivities over this issue and was assessing how to address them.

Another inscription was 2COR4:6, which is an apparent reference to Second Corinthians 4:6 of the New Testament. The passage reads: "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

US military rules prohibit religious proselytising in Iraq or Afghanistan and were drawn to prevent criticism that the US was on a religious crusade in its war against al-Qa'ida and Iraqi insurgents.

The sights are used by US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and in the training of Iraqi and Afghan soldiers.

The maker of the sights, Trijicon, has a $US660 million ($725m) multi-year contract to provide up to 800,000 sights to the US Marine Corps, and additional contracts to provide sights to the American Army.

Trijicon issued a statement saying: "As part of our faith and our belief in service to our country, Trijicon has put scripture references on our products for more than two decades.

"As long as we have men and women in danger, we will continue to do everything we can to provide them with both state-of-the-art technology and the never-ending support and prayers of a grateful nation."

The Australian

Women refuse refuge because of nearby mosque

Muslim women are staying away from a domesitc violence crisis centre since a mosque opened next door.

The Auckland Shakti Asian Women's Centre in Onehunga helps women escape violent domestic situations but women are too scared to go because they may be recognised by their husbands or relatives attending the mosque.

The centre has an alternative premises but cannot move in because Auckland City Council has held back planning permission for more than a year. Read more ...

Source: Stuff

Pressure mounts on Priest gone wild

Pressure is mounting on Catholic Priest Fr Gerard Burns to apologise for desecrating a memorial to murdered Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, says Kiwi Friends of Israel.

"We welcome the strong response from many sections of the community to Fr Burn's vandalism of the Yitzhak Rabin Peace Memorial in Wellington."

Fr Burns threw a mixture of paint and blood over the memorial to the Nobel Peace Prize recipient and former Israeli Prime Minister.

Australian Catholic News Service Cathnews reported the news under the headline "Kiwi priest defiles Rabin memorial", while the New Zealand Herald today published an editorial condemning his actions.

Wellington Archbishop John Dew has also spoken out, telling Radio New Zealand he "did not support the action at the Rabin memorial at all" and that Fr Burns was not representing the Catholic Church.

David Zwartz, a former honorary Israeli consul to New Zealand, also condemned the vandalism and is reported to have lodged a complaint with local police.

"Although the damage is already done, Fr Burns should do the decent thing and apologise for his disgraceful behaviour.

"He has embarassed his Chruch and the international attention this has recieved is damaging to New Zealand's reputation.

"The vandalism has already been reported by China's state news agency Xinhua, as well as the Jerusalem Post, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Australia's Catholic News. It's not a good look for New Zealand, or the Catholic Church.

"Fr Burns can only hope to prevent further embarassment by apologising for his vandalism."

Source: Scoop NZGerard Burns
Latest recipient of the Demented Priest Award

New Zealand: Dhimmi Priest Drips Red Paint Mixed With Blood on Yitzhak Rabin Memorial While Crowd Chants "Allah Akhbar"

A memorial monument to prime minister Yitzhak Rabin in Wellington, New Zealand was defaced with red paint during a demonstration on Monday against the IDF operation in Gaza.

According to Web site Stuff.co.nz, about 100 protesters converged at the monument in Lambton Quay, where Wellington Palestinian Group spokesman Don Carson criticized the lack of New Zealand government response, calling it weak and one-sided, and urged it to enter talks with Hamas.

"Let's send a message to our politicians to damn well do something," he said.

One of the demonstrators, Father Gerard Burn, then sprinkled red paint, mixed with a drop of his own blood, on the monument to mark the killing of hundreds of Palestinians and the seizure of their land.

Members of the crowd chanted "They kill, they lie but Palestine will never die", "Allahu Akhbar" and "Free, free Palestine". Read more ...

Source: Jerusalem Post
H/T: Weasel ZippersGerard Burns
Latest recipient of the Demented Priest Award

Bali bombers deaths 'soon as possible'

Update on this story.

By Karen Michelmore in Jakarta | July 21, 2008

THREE death-row Bali bombers will be executed "as soon as possible," Indonesia's attorney general said today after the Islamic militants declined to seek clemency from the President.

Hendarman Supandji said he hoped that so-called "smiling assassin" Amrozi, his brother Mukhlas and Imam Samudra would be executed before the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan in September.

The three bombers face death by firing squad for their roles in the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians and three New Zealanders.

"We want it as soon as possible," Mr Supandji he said.

"Legally they can be executed because they won't submit a request for clemency. The legal effort is finished."

Families of Australian victims say they have been told by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) that the executions are imminent.

Indonesia's Supreme Court recently dismissed the trio's final legal challenge.

The country appears to be ramping up its use of the death penalty, despite a global push to eliminate state-sanctioned executions.

Three prisoners were executed at the weekend, including a mother and son who murdered a family 20 years ago.

Indonesia has now executed six prisoners in less than a month. It resumed executions in June after a 14-month lapse.

Mr Supandji said he could not give a specific time for the bombers' executions.

"It could be next month, or the end of this month or the end of next month," he said.

"It depends on the process from Denpasar District Court, the prosecutor's office and the Attorney
General's office. My hope would be before the fasting month."

Mr Supandji said as far as he was concerned the bombers had waived all rights to seek clemency from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

"We have offered it in writing to them and to their families and both have refused it," he said.

Some Australians who lost family members in Bali say they will celebrate the bombers' executions but others remain opposed, including former Adelaide magistrate Brian Deegan who lost his son Joshua.

Mr Deegan has written an open letter to Indonesian authorities saying "no good, only harm" will come from the executions.

New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark today said she did not support the executions, despite the "heinous crimes" of the three.

Indonesian human rights campaigner Usman Hamid said he suspected Indonesia was using the rash of recent executions to deflect attention from a corruption scandal inside the Attorney General's office and other government agencies.

"There is an increasing number of cases about bribery (among) the law enforcement officials ... the law enforcement agencies are (suffering a) crisis of their credibility," Mr Hamid said.

"Law enforcement agencies ... and the Government are trying to use the cases of (the) death penalty ... to have more credibility.

"This is wrong. If the Government wants to be seen as a strong government, with a strong law enforcement process, it should ... reform the judiciary, reform (the) prosecutors."

Source: The Australian