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GENOCIDE
Prevention, Sovereignty & Human Nature
How they all fit together By Berit Kjos - October 2, 2004Skip down to the key to social change: A Culture of Prevention |
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See also UNESCO's Declaration of Princliples on Tolerance & Declaration on the Role of Religion in a Culture of Peace
"I was sleeping when the attack on Disa started. I was taken away by the attackers, they were all in uniforms. They took dozens of other girls and made us walk for three hours. During the day we were beaten and they were telling us: 'You, the black women, we will exterminate you, you have no god.' At night we were raped several times. The Arabs guarded us with arms and we were not given food for three days."[1] A female refugee from Disa [Masalit village, West Darfur], interviewed by Amnesty International delegates.
"When we tried to escape they shot more children. They raped women; I saw many cases of Janjawid raping women and girls. They are happy when they rape. They sing when they rape and they tell that we are just slaves and that they can do with us how they wish."[1] A 37-year-old woman from Mukjar
THE CURRENT CRISIS
The deadly assaults on villages in the Darfur region of western Sudan have been described as the "world's greatest humanitarian crisis."[1] The heartless rape, slashing, shooting and torture of black Sudanese in Darfur defies comprehension. In village after village, Arab militia groups (Janjawid) murder the men, torture and rape the women, kill or abduct children and youth, burn the homes and steal the cattle.
Amnesty International (AI) and other fact-finding organization have uncovered --
"a pattern of systematic and unlawful attacks on civilians... by a government-sponsored militia mostly referred to as 'Janjawid' (armed men on horses) or 'Arab militia' and by the government army, including through bombardments of civilian villages by the Sudanese Air Force."[1]
According to AI, these "attacks have led to the displacement of at least 1.2 million persons. At least one million people have become internally displaced persons (IDPs) and been forced to move to the vicinity of towns or big villages in Darfur, and more than 170,000 have taken refuge across the border into Chad. Others, of which the exact number is unknown, are in hiding in mountains, valleys or areas held by armed political groups."[1]
There is little doubt that the Sudanese government is responsible for the ongoing onslaughts:
"In addition to the military and logistical support and the impunity that it provides to the Janjawid, the Sudanese government has used a policy of repression to deal with the problems of Darfur. It has engaged in arbitrary arrests, incommunicado detentions, 'disappearances' and torture in order to punish human rights activists, lawyers, leaders and members of communities in Darfur. The Sudanese government has also used unfair and summary trials, using confessions sometimes extracted under torture without the right to defence, and applied cruel, inhuman and degrading punishments, such as amputations, floggings and the death penalty." [1]
Women have been forced into sex slavery. The Janjawid are known to break the legs of rape victims to prevent them from escaping. A 30-year-old woman who found refuge in the camp of Konoungou, gave this sad account to AI:
"The attack took place at 8am on 29 February 2004 when soldiers arrived by car, camels and horses. The Janjawid were inside the houses and the soldiers outside. Some 15 women and girls who had not fled quickly enough were raped in different huts in the village. The Janjawid broke the limbs (arms or legs) of some women and girls to prevent them from escaping. The Janjawid remained in the village for six or seven days. After the rapes, the Janjawid looted the houses." [1]
Genocide emergency - Darfur, Sudan (Includes map of region): "Testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on September 9, 2004, US Secretary of State Colin Powell reviewed the evidence of a State Department investigation into atrocities committed in Darfur and concluded that genocide has occurred and may still be occurring."
The Crisis in Darfur - Secretary Colin L. Powell's remarks before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Washington, DC, September 9, 2004:
"The violence in Darfur has complex roots in traditional conflicts between Arab nomadic herders and African farmers. The violence intensified during 2003 when two groups -- the Sudan Liberation Movement and the Justice and Equality Movement -- declared open rebellion against the Government of Sudan because they feared being on the outside of the power and wealth-sharing agreements in the north-south negotiations. Khartoum reacted aggressively, intensifying support for Arab militias, the so-called jinjaweid. The Government of Sudan supported the jinjaweid, directly and indirectly, as they carried out a scorched-earth policy towards the rebels and the African civilian population.
"Mr. Chairman, the United States exerted strong leadership to focus international attention on this unfolding tragedy. We first took the issue of Sudan to the United Nations (UN) Security Council last fall. President Bush was the first head of state to condemn publicly the Government of Sudan and to urge the international community to intensify efforts to end the violence. In April of this year, the United States brokered a ceasefire between the Government of Sudan and the rebels, and then took the lead to get the African Union (AU) to monitor that ceasefire.
"As some of you are aware, I traveled to the Sudan in midsummer and made a point of visiting Darfur. It was about the same time that Congressman Wolf and Senator Brownback were there, as well as Secretary General Kofi Annan. ... all of us saw the suffering that the people of Darfur are having to endure. And Senator Corzine was just in Darfur and can vouch for the fact that atrocities are still occurring. All of us met with people who had been driven from their homes -- indeed many having seen their homes and all their worldly possessions destroyed or confiscated before their eyes -- by the terrible violence that is occurring in Darfur. ...
"The Sudanese have met some of our benchmarks such as engaging in political talks with the rebels and supporting the deployment of observers and troops from the AU to monitor the ceasefire between Khartoum and the rebels. Some improvements in humanitarian access have also occurred though the government continues to throw obstacles in the way of the fullest provision of assistance."The AU [African Union] Ceasefire Commission has also been set up and is working to monitor more effectively what is actually happening in Darfur. ... The AU's mission will help to restore sufficient security so that these dislocated, starving, hounded people can at least avail themselves of the humanitarian assistance that is available. But what is really needed is enough security so that they can go home. And what is really needed is for the jinjaweid militias to cease and desist their murderous raids against these people -- and for the Government in Khartoum to stop being complicit in such raids. Khartoum has made no meaningful progress in substantially improving the overall security environment by disarming the jinjaweid militias or arresting its leaders. ...
"U.S. Government provision of aid to the Darfur crisis in Sudan and Chad totaled $211.3 million as of September 2, 2004. This includes $112.9 million in food assistance, $50.2 million in non-food assistance, and $36.4 million for refugees in Chad, $5 million for refugee programs in Darfur, and $6.8 million for the African Union mission. ...
"But the Government of Sudan bears the greatest responsibility to face up to this catastrophe, rein in those who are committing these atrocities, and save the lives of its own citizens. At the same time, however, the rebels have not fully respected the ceasefire. We are disturbed at reports of rebel kidnappings of relief workers. We have emphasized to the rebels that they must allow unrestricted access of humanitarian relief workers and supplies and cooperate fully, including with the AU monitoring mission."
Urged Home By Sudan, Refugees Find Insecurity, Hunger -- and Death
: "Sudanese officials drove up to the creek near the Chad border where Alama Abdullah Hassan was hiding with her family three months ago: 'It's safe now in Darfur. You can go home,' Hassan recalls their saying."On Monday, Hassan was tending two young girls, a daughter and a cousin, curled up in pain from gunshot wounds, and mourning two female cousins -- all victims of an armed raid that the African village family blames on the pro-government Arab Janjaweed militia on Sept. 22....
"Sudan, under threat of U.N. sanctions over Darfur's crisis, insists it is now doing all it can to calm the situation and says it is ready to welcome home the region's 1.4 million uprooted non-Arab African villagers. ....But the few who do trickle back are finding a countryside in violent flux _ with steady raids blamed on both Arab Janjaweed militia.... 'There's no security here -- if we could go back to Chad, we would,' said the 35-year-old Hassan, who, with her extended family, had taken the Sudanese officials at their word and returned to her home region in July....
"The United States, European Parliament and others accuse Sudan's government and allied Janjaweed militia of genocide in a campaign of burning, raping and killing that has claimed more than 50,000 lives."
Romans 1:22-32
DEFINITIONS
Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide:
Article I: The Contracting Parties confirm that genocide, whether committed in time of peace or in time of war, is a crime under international law which they undertake to prevent and to punish.
Article II: In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:
(a) Killing members of the group;
(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
Article III: The following acts shall be punishable:
(a) Genocide;
(b) Conspiracy to commit genocide;
(c) Direct and public incitement to commit genocide;
(d) Attempt to commit genocide;
(e) Complicity in genocide.
Article IV: Persons committing genocide or any of the other acts enumerated in article III shall be punished, whether they are constitutionally responsible rulers, public officials or private individuals.
Genocide: "Genocide is defined as the deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political, or cultural group. The world has suffered many genocides in human history and, despite progress of civilization, their scope and enormity have not decreased. Genocide is one of the worst crimes against humanity."
U.S. POSITION
President's Statement on Violence in Darfur, Sudan (September 9, 2004): "Our government has led the international effort to end the suffering there by speaking clearly about the crisis and sending assistance to the suffering. We have provided more than $211 million in aid and humanitarian relief, and we will provide an additional $250 million. To end the conflict, we helped broker a cease-fire and worked closely with the African Union to deploy monitors and soldiers to investigate violations. ....
"I sent Secretary of State Powell to Darfur and Khartoum to demand that the Sudanese Government act to end the violence. We sponsored a strong Security Council Resolution, which passed on July 30. This resolution called on the Government to disarm the Jinjaweed militias which have terrorized the people of Darfur, and bring their leaders to justice. Secretary Powell later sent a team of investigators into the refugee camps to interview the victims of atrocities.
"As a result of these investigations and other information, we have concluded that genocide has taken place in Darfur. We urge the international community to work with us to prevent and suppress acts of genocide. We call on the United Nations to undertake a full investigation of the genocide and other crimes in Darfur."
Prevent Genocide International: "Appearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on September 9, 2004. Powell stated '... I concluded, that genocide has been committed in Darfur and that the Government of Sudan and the Jingaweit bear responsibility -- and that genocide may still be occurring."
The Crisis in Darfur:
Secretary Colin L. Powell -- Written Remarks Before the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee
Washington, DC, September 9, 2004
"Since the U.S. became aware of atrocities occurring in Sudan, we have been reviewing the Genocide Convention and the obligations it places on the Government of Sudan. ...
"Article VIII of the Genocide Convention provides that Contracting Parties 'may call upon the competent organs of the United Nations to take such action under the Charter of the United Nations as they consider appropriate for the prevention and suppression of acts of genocide or any of the other acts enumerated in Article III.' Today, the U.S. is calling on the UN to initiate a full investigation. ...
"Mr. Chairman, as I said the evidence leads us to the conclusion that genocide has occurred and may still be occurring in Darfur. We believe the evidence corroborates the specific intent of the perpetrators to destroy "a group in whole or in part". This intent may be inferred from their deliberate conduct. We believe other elements of the convention have been met as well.
"Under the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, to which both the United States and Sudan are parties, genocide occurs when the following three criteria are met:
Specified acts are committed:a) killing;
b) causing serious bodily or mental harm;
c) deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about physical destruction of a group in whole or in part;
d) imposing measures to prevent births; or
e) forcibly transferring children to another group;"These acts are committed against members of a national, ethnic, racial or religious group; and
They are committed “with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, [the group] as such”.
The totality of the evidence from the interviews we conducted in July and August, and from the other sources available to us, shows that:The jinjaweid and Sudanese military forces have committed large-scale acts of violence, including murders, rape and physical assaults on non-Arab individuals;
The jinjaweid and Sudanese military forces destroyed villages, foodstuffs, and other means of survival;
The Sudan Government and its military forces obstructed food, water, medicine, and other humanitarian aid from reaching affected populations, thereby leading to further deaths and suffering; and
Despite having been put on notice multiple times, Khartoum has failed to stop the violence.
"... let us not be preoccupied with this designation of genocide. These people are in desperate need and we must help them. Call it a civil war. Call it ethnic cleansing. Call it genocide. Call it "none of the above." The reality is the same: there are people in Darfur who desperately need our help.
"I expect that the government in Khartoum will reject our conclusion of genocide anyway. Moreover, at this point genocide is our judgment and not the judgment of the International Community. Before the Government of Sudan is taken to the bar of international justice, let me point out that there is a simple way for Khartoum to avoid such wholesale condemnation. That way is to take action." The Crisis In Darfur
U.S.: No 'Quick Fixes' in Sudan Situation: "There are no '30-day, 90-day quick fixes' to the problem, said Charles Snyder, the State Department's Senior Representative on Sudan. 'This is going to take, in my view, 18 months to two years to conclude the first phase' of making the region safe for people to return to their homes....
"The United Nations calls Darfur the world's worst humanitarian crisis. The United States and others call it genocide. In an 11-0 vote Sept. 18, the U.N. Security Council said it would meet again to consider sanctions against Sudan's petroleum sector, or other measures, if Sudan did not act quickly to stop violence ...The resolution also authorized U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to appoint a commission to investigate reports of human rights violations in Darfur and determine 'whether or not acts of genocide have occurred.' Sudanese President Omar el-Bashir shrugged off the U.N. resolution, saying his government was not afraid of it." (9-24-2004)
HISTORY
Cambodian Genocide Program: "The Cambodian genocide of 1975-1979, in which approximately 1.7 million people lost their lives (21% of the country's population), was one of the worst human tragedies of the last century. As in the Ottoman Empire during the Armenian genocide, the Soviet Union under Stalin, Nazi Germany during the Holocaust, and more recently in East Timor, Guatemala, Yugoslavia, and Rwanda, the Khmer Rouge regime headed by Pol Pot combined extremist ideology with ethnic animosity and a diabolical disregard for human life to produce repression, misery, and murder on a massive scale. ...
"In 1997 the Cambodian Government requested United Nations assistance in achieving legal accountability for the crimes committed during the Khmer Rouge period. The next year the UN Secretary-General commissioned a legal advisory body, the Group of Experts on Cambodia, which called in 1999 for establishment of an international tribunal to judge the genocide and other Khmer Rouge crimes. After several years of negotiations with Cambodia on the nature of such a court, the UN withdrew from the process in February 2002, but then renewed its involvement by a resolution of the UN Third Committee in November 2002."
The article, "Create a United Nations Genocide Prevention Focal Point and Genocide Prevention Center," gives us some history from a globalist perspective. Linked to Kofi Annan's web message below, it provides some insightful facts and observation but its suggested solution would destroy national sovereignty and establish the ineffective, socialist UN body as the ultimate decision maker for the world and its people. Notice the reference to "the idolatry of national sovereignty."
"Genocide is not conflict. It is one-sided mass murder. Jews had no conflict with Nazis. Armenians posed no threat to Turks. Ukrainian farmers did not fight Stalin’s communist cadres. Bengalis did not try to massacre Pakistanis... nor did Tutsis advocate mass murder of Hutus in Rwanda in 1994. Yet all of these groups were victims of genocide....
"Since the founding of the United Nations in 1945, there have been at least 55 genocides and politicides. Over seventy million people have died, most murdered by their own governments, more than in all the wars combined. Genocide, unlike other human rights violations, can almost never be prevented or punished unless the government that perpetrates the crime is forcefully restrained or overthrown. That is why the United Nations has been ineffective in preventing genocide.
Many reports have recommended creating U.N. early warning and response institutions to prevent genocide. None have been implemented. At first paralyzed by the great power veto during the Cold War, the U.N. is now paralyzed by unwillingness of great powers to subject their policies to criticism and fear among illegitimate governments that scrutiny of their human rights violations might invite intervention by international forces.
Nevertheless, the United Nations remains the best hope to overcome the idolatry of national sovereignty. An underlying premise of the Genocide Convention is that any regime that commits genocide forfeits its legitimacy, and should be subject to the authority of international law and international intervention. ... Genocidal regimes never stop their predatory murders at their own borders and always hemorrhage refugees."
Facing the Humanitarian Challenge: Towards a Culture of Prevention by Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General, September 1999:
[See Trading U.S. Rights for UN Rules]"As must now be evident, the common thread running through almost all conflict prevention policies is the need to pursue what we in the United Nations refer to as good governance. In practice, good governance involves promoting the rule of law, tolerance of minority and opposition groups, ... Above all, good governance means respect for human rights."
"Long-term
prevention strategies, in addressing the root causes of conflict, seek
to prevent destructive conflicts from arising in the first place. They
embrace the same holistic approach to prevention that characterizes
post-conflict peace-building....
Our Creative Diversity: Report on the World Commission on Culture
and Development, UNESCO Publishing, 1995.
"I have for some time been
concerned with the 'culture of peace.' There is now considerable
evidence that neglect of human development has been one of the
principal causes of wars and
internal armed conflicts.... The concept of state sovereignty
which still prevails today has increasingly come under scrutiny. ...
"An ounce of prevention is better than a ton of punishment. ...
"Imagination, innovation, vision and creativity are required... It means
an open mind, and open heart and a readiness to seek fresh definitions,
reconcile old
opposites, and help draw new mental maps."
"There should be a commitment to building 'a culture of peace.' ... 'a
process by which positive attitudes to peace, democracy and tolerance
are forged through education and knowledge about different cultures.' It
is a process that is built on the proactive stance of peace
building:....
"Universalism is the fundamental principle of a global ethics."
[pages 11-12]
"Religion... has affected and sometimes poisoned the relations between majorities and minorities.... Even today, politicized religion often appears to contribute more to the intensification of conflict than to the construction of peace....
"Extreme
doctrinaire views look to an imagined past, seen as both simpler and
more stable, thus
preparing the ground not only for a variety of
overtly violent acts but also for the intimidation of individual and
indeed entire communities in matters of thought, behavior and belief,
coercing them into accepting a single 'orthodox' point of view....
"The late twentieth-century present politicized, fundamentalist
tendencies in all religions. ... The challenge today, as in the past
is to... distinguish between the beliefs and activities of the
peaceful majority... and a minority of extremists...."
[pages 67-68
"To promote pluralistic societies and resolve existing
conflicts requires the recognition of the variety of structures that
acquire legitimacy for different aspects of social life."
[page 72]
Action Plan to Prevent Genocide:
"On April 7, 2004 in a speech in Geneva commemorating the 10th anniversary of the 1994 Genocide In Rwanda, UN
Secretary General Kofi Annan announced his future appointment of a Special Advisor on Genocide Prevention and launched an Action Plan to Prevent Genocide...."
On the surface, Kofi Annan's words sound reasonable, but keep in mind that
his terms are grounded in a global agenda that has no room for Biblical
absolutes. IN the context of UN pluralism and purposes, God's Word is
considered incendiary, which is why "hate crime" laws in a growing number of
nations are directed at Christians who take a moral stand on certain issues.
For example, relying on Biblical guidelines to evaluate moral behaviors such
as homosexuality and adultery is now equated with hatred, intolerance,
dehumanization, etc. Ponder the following statements by Kofi Annan: "I wish today to launch an Action Plan to Prevent Genocide, involving the whole United Nations system.
... We must work together with the international financial institutions, with civil society, and with the private sector, to
ensure that young people get the chance to better themselves through education and peaceful employment, so that they are less easily recruited into predatory gangs and militias.
"We must protect the rights of minorities, since they are genocide’s most frequent targets.
By all these means, and more, we must attack the roots of violence and genocide: hatred, intolerance, racism, tyranny, and the dehumanizing public discourse that denies whole groups of people their dignity and their rights.
... "Wherever civilians are deliberately targeted because they belong to a particular community, we are in the presence of potential, if not actual, genocide."
Holocaust, Genocide, & Human Rights:
"We live in a time of unparalleled instances of democide, genocide and ethnocide.
The Holocaust, the genocides in Turkey, Cambodia, Tibet, & Bosnia, the disappearances
in Argentina & Chile, the death squad killings in El Salvador, Stalin's purges,
the killing of the Tutsi in Rwanda... and the list goes on....
" STAGES OF GENOCIDE
Eight Stages of Genocide:
By Gregory H. Stanton (Originally written in 1996 at the Department of
State; presented at the Yale University Center for International and Area
Studies in 1998) "Genocide is a process that develops in eight stages that are predictable
but not inexorable. At each stage, preventive measures can stop it."
1. CLASSIFICATION:
"All cultures have categories to distinguish people into 'us and them'
by ethnicity, race, religion, or nationality."
Prevention:
"...develop universalistic
institutions that transcend ethnic or racial divisions, that actively promote
tolerance and understanding, and that promote classifications that
transcend
the divisions. ...search for common ground."
See
"Twisting
Truth Through Classroom Consensus"
and
Brainwashing
in America
2. SYMBOLIZATION: "We give names or other symbols to the classifications. We name people "Jews" or "Gypsies", or distinguish them by colors or dress; and apply them to members of groups. Classification and symbolization are universally human and do not necessarily result in genocide unless they lead to the next stage, dehumanization. When combined with hatred, symbols may be forced upon unwilling members of pariah groups: the yellow star for Jews under Nazi rule."
Prevention: "...hate symbols can be legally forbidden (swastikas) as can hate speech. Group marking like gang clothing or tribal scarring can be outlawed.... The problem is that legal limitations will fail if unsupported by popular cultural enforcement. Though Hutu and Tutsi were forbidden words in Burundi until the 1980's, code-words replaced them. If widely supported, however, denial of symbolization can be powerful, as it was in Bulgaria, when many non-Jews chose to wear the yellow star, depriving it of its significance as a Nazi symbol for Jews."
French school bans girls over scarves
: "Muslim headwear said to violate religious neutrality.... French law imposes strict religious neutrality in public institutions, but the conservative government of Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin is split on whether to ban them the headscarves."Once again, the socialist vision of "equality" and conformity eclipses personal freedom. Perhaps French "neutrality" forbids all religious expression unless they agree with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights -- which bans everything not permitted by the UN. See the first part of
Trading U.S. Rights for UN Rules and the next link:Muslim girl suspended for head scarf
: "An 11-year-old Oklahoma girl has been suspended from a public school because officials said her Muslim head scarf violates dress code policies." (CNN.com, 10/11/03)Hate-crimes law worries pastors: "Canada recently added sexual orientation as a protected category in its genocide and hate-crimes legislation, which carries a penalty of up to five years in prison. Opponents fear the Bible will be regarded as 'hate literature' under the criminal code in certain instances, as evidenced by the case of a Saskatchewan man fined by a provincial human-rights tribunal for taking out a newspaper ad with Scripture references to verses about homosexuality."
3. DEHUMANIZATION: "One group denies the humanity of the other group. Members of it are equated with animals, vermin, insects or diseases. Dehumanization overcomes the normal human revulsion against murder. ...hate propaganda in print and on hate radios is used to vilify the victim group."
Prevention: "...incitement to genocide should not be confused with protected speech. Genocidal societies lack constitutional protection for countervailing speech, and should be treated differently than in democracies. Hate radio stations should be shut down, and hate propaganda banned. Hate crimes and atrocities should be promptly punished."
Example: Sweden's Hate Speech Law: "The prosecution of a Christian pastor for the crime of preaching a biblical sermon sets a new low for the culture of political correctness. .... The logic of this prosecution is driven by the ardent determination of homosexual activists to make all criticism of homosexuality illegal. The logic of many hate crimes statutes plays right into this ideological strategy. By silencing all opposition, advocates for the normalization of homosexuality have the public square entirely to themselves, with defenders of biblical sexuality and the traditional family left without a voice and risking prosecution for any language or argument deemed offensive by the guardians of political correctness...
"...the prosecutor in this case, Kjell Yngvesson, justified the arrest and prosecution of Pastor Green on these grounds: 'One may have whatever religion one wishes, but this is an attack on all fronts against homosexuals. Collecting Bible citations on this topic as he does makes this hate speech.'...
"The recent expansion of hate crimes laws in Canada, intended to outlaw all criticism of homosexuality, is convincing proof that these trends are not limited to Europe. ...Earlier this year, the U.S. Senate passed a hate crimes provision attached to a defense appropriation bill. ...Where this leads, of course, is to the eradication of all criticism of homosexuality itself.... We are now witnesses to the criminalizing of Christianity." See Ban truth - Reap Tyranny
Seeking federal dollars, police and prosecutors will define more and more cases as 'hate crimes.'... In a media- and dollar-driven situation, your grandmother's mugging will not receive as much attention as the 'hate crime' committed against a homosexual....
"But the real danger of 'hate crime' laws is that they criminalize thoughts and beliefs. The law should concern itself only with actions. Prosecutors must prove intent, but examining underlying beliefs goes far beyond that.... The federal 'hate crimes' bill lays the groundwork for persecution of Christians in this country. Homosexual activists have redefined any opposition to homosexuality as 'hate speech.'...
"In Tulsa, for instance, s
omeone wrote the words 'kill' and 'death' on the walls of a Catholic elementary school. According to civil-rights attorney Leah Farish, the perpetrator also wrote 'messages referring to devils and to sex with Christian girls. Pentagrams and the number 666 appeared as well. But the police said, 'It is not a hate crime per se. In order for it to be a hate crime, it has to be an act of malicious intention.'" ...This isn't a slippery slope; it's a luge ride toward totalitarianism."
4. ORGANIZATION:
"Genocide is always organized, usually by the state, though sometimes informally...."
Prevention:
"...membership in these militias should be outlawed. Their
leaders should be denied visas for foreign travel."
5. POLARIZATION:
"Extremists drive the groups apart. Hate groups broadcast polarizing propaganda.
Laws may forbid intermarriage or social interaction.....
Prevention:
"Security protection for moderate leaders or assistance to
human rights groups. Assets of extremists may be seized, and visas for international
travel denied to them."
6. PREPARATION:
"Victims are identified and separated out because of their ethnic or religious
identity. Death lists are drawn up. Members of victim groups are forced to wear
identifying symbols. They are often segregated into ghettoes, forced into concentration
camps, or confined to a famine-struck region and starved."
Prevention:
"...a Genocide Alert must be called. If the political will
of the U.S., NATO, and the U.N. Security Council can be mobilized, armed international
intervention should be prepared, or heavy assistance to the victim group in
preparing for its self-defense. Otherwise, at least humanitarian assistance
should be organized by the U.N. and private relief groups for the inevitable
tide of refugees."
7. EXTERMINATION:
"Extermination begins, and quickly becomes the mass killing legally called
'genocide.'
It is 'extermination' to the killers because they do not believe their victims
to be fully human. When it is sponsored by the state, the armed forces often
work with militias to do the killing.".
Prevention:
"...only rapid and overwhelming armed intervention can stop genocide.
Real safe areas or refugee escape corridors should be established with heavily
armed international protection. The U.N. needs a Standing High Readiness Brigade
or a permanent rapid reaction force, to intervene quickly when the U.N.
Security Council calls it."
8. DENIAL:
"The perpetrators of genocide dig up the mass graves, burn the bodies,
try to cover up the evidence and intimidate the witnesses. They deny
that they committed any crimes, and often blame what happened on the
victims. They block investigations of the crimes, and continue to govern
until driven from power by force, when they flee into exile."
Prevention:
"...punishment by an international tribunal or
national courts. There the evidence can be heard, and the perpetrators
punished."
HUMAN NATURE
Another "Triumph" for the U.N.
(New York Times - Registration required): "The United States said the killing in Darfur was indeed genocide, the Europeans weren't so sure, and the Arab League said definitely not, and hairs were split and legalisms were parsed, and the debate over how many corpses you can fit on the head of a pin proceeded in stentorian tones while the mass extermination of human beings continued at a pace that may or may not rise to the level of genocide. For people are still starving and perishing in Darfur. ..."The resolution passed, and it was a good day for alliance-nurturing and burden-sharing -- for the burden of doing nothing was shared equally by all. And we are by now used to the pattern. Every time there is an ongoing atrocity, we watch the world community go through the same series of stages: (1) shock and concern (2) gathering resolve (3) fruitless negotiation (4) pathetic inaction (5) shame and humiliation (6) steadfast vows to never let this happen again.
"The 'never-again' always comes...."
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" Jeremiah 17:5-10"
"But
Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man." John 2:24-25"Professing to be wise, they became fools...
"And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge,
God gave them over to a debased [depraved] mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness."They are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but
also approve of those who practice them." Romans 1:22-32Endnotes:
1. A female refugee from Disa [Masalit village, West Darfur], interviewed by Amnesty International delegates in Goz Amer camp for Sudanese refugees in Chad, May 2004. See Darfur: Rape as a weapon of war: sexual violence and its consequences at http://www.mafhoum.com/press7/203S30.htm
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