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Islam in the News (December 2013)
|Islam in the News
- 1 UK: Cousin of honor killing victim who helped to dispose of her body is "still proud of what he did" judge says
- 2 Norway: Two teenaged sisters who ran away from home to help rebels in Syria are confirmed to be in war torn country
- 3 Syria: Western-backed rebels want to use nuns kidnapped from their Maalula convent as "human shields"
- 4 Pakistan: Two young caste Hindu women raped by Muslim landlords, one of them was later murdered
- 5 Russia: Seven churches burned in one year, attacks foiled and increased pressure on Christians to convert to Islam
- 6 Malawi: Human rights activist calls for religious tolerance after violence erupted over sale of pig meat
- 7 India: Fatwa to boycott polio campaigns and schools issued in 30 Muslim dominated villages in Sambhal district
- 8 Saudi Arabia: Man ends life by setting himself on fire after learning fiancée was breastfed by his mother
- 9 Pakistan: Man shoots dead his teenage sister after he suspected she was having an affair
- 10 Kenya: Armed Muslim youths held mosque under siege for two hours, conducted their prayers before leaving
- 11 India: Local journalist beaten up by members of a Muslim group for helping an aged Muslim woman
- 12 Saudi Arabia: Authorities offer 'jihadist' prisoners freedom if they agree to fight in Syria against government
- 13 Syria: Western-backed rebels break in to Orthodox convent in Christian village, take nuns hostage
- 14 US: Mosque takes over former Wheaton Illinois church, city's first Islamic institution
- 15 Norway: Specialist abattoir has slaughtered the country's first ever halal reindeer meat
- 16 Syria: Western-backed rebels clear all signs of Christianity from a church, turn it into an office for themselves
- 17 Indonesia: Hundreds of Muslims attack Protestant community during prayer service
- 18 Iraq: Security officials advise cafe owners on how to stop a suicide bomber
- 19 Libya: Two Egyptian Christians robbed, beaten and killed by Muslims when they refused to convert to Islam
- 20 Syria: 13-year-old Moroccan boy fights alongside al-Qaeda militants in their war against the Syrian government
- 21 Germany: Convert urges Muslims to join the jihad in Syria and establish an Islamic Caliphate system to rule the world
- 22 Pakistan: Shi'ite convert's headless body found at home, head found on display at a bridge in Karachi
- 23 Egypt fleshes out new constitution enforcing Shari'ah law, military powers and privileges
- 24 See Also
- 25 External Links
UK: Cousin of honor killing victim who helped to dispose of her body is "still proud of what he did" judge says
Dana Amin, 29, helped Banaz's father and two other men [now convicted of murdering the 20-year-old] bury her corpse in a Birmingham garden.
The Muslim's body was shoved into a suitcase before being driven to the Midlands and dumped in a make-shift grave in January 2006, where it lay undiscovered for three months.
Judge Martin Beddoe told Amin: "[Banaz's] death had been planned for about a month or so before it actually took place. There had even been an attempt on her life already.
"I am sure you were aware of all these matters and you knew not only of what had gone on but what was intended to happen.
"The reason is that, like other members of this family, you subscribe to this perverted code in that a grown woman cannot choose how to live her life.
"I fear for any female child you may father."
Banaz had been strangled with a shoe lace at her family home in Morden, south London, just hours before she was burried, Southwark Crown Court heard.
Her only crime was to divorce her first husband from an arranged marriage and fall in love with another man.
The new romance incurred the wrath of her relatives who believed she had brought shame on their family.
Terrified Banaz had repeatedly told police of her fears her life was in danger.
Her father, Mahmod Mahmod, and uncle, Ari Mahmod, were jailed for life in 2007 for her murder, together with henchman Mohamad Hama in what became one of Britain's most notorious honour killings.
Banaz's cousins, Mohammed Ali, and Omar Hussain, were also locked up after being extradited from Iraq in 2010.
Amin, on his uncle Ari's orders, joined Hussain and Hama at Ali's Brixton home to discuss plans to kill Banaz on the eve of her death.All four men later travelled to Birmingham in Amin's black Lexus to get rid of the corpse...
Norway: Two teenaged sisters who ran away from home to help rebels in Syria are confirmed to be in war torn country
The other sister is aged 19. Both are from a family of Somalian origin living in Norway.
Their disappearance in mid-October, with messages to the family that they planned to go to Syria to support insurgents there, prompted Norway to launch an international search for them through Interpol.
Their father told NRK at the end of October that online messages he had received from the girls suggested they had made it to Syria, where they said they were being "held against their will" by rebels.
But Lippestad said the father had now received assurances that the two would soon be released.
The identities of the girls and the father have not been made public by Norwegian authorities.Norway's intelligence services estimate that 30 to 40 Norwegian nationals have gone to Syria to fight.
Syria: Western-backed rebels want to use nuns kidnapped from their Maalula convent as "human shields"
For earlier news on the same subject, click here.
"Syrian army forces have started arriving in the Maalula area to restore security, after hundreds of rebels sowed chaos in the city, which they entered through the mountains, and kidnapped 12 Syrian and Lebanese nuns to take them to Yabrud," a rebel town northeast of Maalula, said Al-Watan.
"The terrorists want to use them as human shields," it added.
Yabrud is the loyalist army's next target in Qalamoun, a mountainous region north of Damascus that is strategic because of its proximity to smuggling routes across the Lebanese border and a key road linking the capital to central Homs province.
Al-Watan's report comes a day after the mother superior of Saydnaya convent in Damascus province, Fibronia Nabhan, said she had spoken with her Maalula counterpart, who confirmed the nuns were in Yabrud.Maalula mother superior Pelagia Sayyaf said "she and the 11 other nuns, accompanied by three young maids, were comfortably installed in a house in Yabrud and no one was bothering them," Nabhan said.
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Maalula has long been a symbol of the long Christian presence in Syria. Its residents are some of the few left in the world who speak Aramaic, the language that Jesus Christ is believed to have spoken.
Pakistan: Two young caste Hindu women raped by Muslim landlords, one of them was later murdered
The girls and their family members were working in the fields of Shar and were provided a hut to live in. The main culprit, Mohammad Khadim Shar, was lusting after Shrimati (Ms.) Kakoo and on several occasions asked for sexual favors. However each time Shar was denied. The poverty of Kakoo and her sister and lack of economical support prevented them from leaving their workplace. After a long session of frustration, anger and shame, generated by the constant denial and rejection from Ms. Kakoo, Mohammed Khadim Shar finally decided to take her by force.
Dalit women, who are mostly defenseless, are considered 'sexually available' and are targeted for sexual violence by the Muslim community. Dalits in particular and the entire Hindu community in general are vulnerable and voiceless and unable to oppose the atrocities which are perpetrated on them. The Kohli Hindus are considered to be the lowest people in the Hindu religion.
On October 18, the perpetrator, Mohammad Khadim Shar took his brother Sirajudding Shar with him and attacked Ms. Kakoo's house at gun point and restrained all the members of the Kohli family, including the mother and father. Khadim raped Kakoo and Siraj raped Nallan in front of their family members. After the rape, the attackers threatened the family that if they report the incident to anybody they would be killed. However, after the incident, Kumar Veerji Kohli, the father of Kakoo and Nallan took the victims to the Shadi Pali police station to report the rape. However, as usually happens, the police refused to file the report until they completed their investigation. After two days the police agreed to file an FIR which infuriated the main perpetrator, Khadim Shar. The police arrested Sirajuddin Shar but allowed Khadim to abscond. Sirajuddin was able to obtain bail.
In the meantime, the Umarkot police, on the instructions of the landlord, arranged a Jirga, an illegal court declared by the high court of Sindh, consisting of elders of the area. The Jirga compelled the victims and her family to reach a settlement with the perpetrators and this was sanctioned by the Judicial Magistrate. The police officials were happy to serve the landlords and the case against the perpetrators was withdrawn.Khadim Shar was insulted that a Hindu woman from the lowest caste had filed a case against him and this, in his eyes, was a challenge to the supremacy of Islam. On November 29, while he was at his fields, he received information that Kakoo and her mother were attending the clinic of a local doctor. He took the jeep belonging to his friend and abducted the woman and her mother at gun point in full view of many persons. After reaching his fields he shot Kakoo in the head. He was arrested but still has not been charged as there were no eye witnesses and police classify the mother as a biased witness...
Asian Human Rights Commission, December 4, 2013, http://www.humanrights.asia/news/urgent-appeals/AHRC-UAC-150-2013.
Russia: Seven churches burned in one year, attacks foiled and increased pressure on Christians to convert to Islam
As for the fires, and in various parts of the region, the charges have been formalized as vandalism , and arson, in violation of freedom of conscience and religion. Investigators insist, however , that they be considered as "acts of terrorism" .
The last year saw Christian seven parishes torched. The last two episodes occurred on 28 and 29 November, as reported by the Regnum.ru news agency. In 2012 there was a similar case. The attorney general pointed the finger at "unidentified extremists" and the culprits risk up to 20 years in prison .
According to the newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda, investigators are following the trail of Wahhabi groups That those responsible for the attacks are Muslims adherents to radical Islam with the support of the local clergy. In an interview with Interfax , Father Dmitri Sizov , pastor of Pestrechinsky, said that " the whole community knows that it is the work of the Wahhabis ." According to the priest, in some predominantly Christian villages of Tatarstan "fundamentalist agitators roam, inviting the faithful to convert to Islam". "The priests remain silent because they are afraid of being accused of incitement to religious hatred", added Fr . Sizov .
President Minnikhanov has offered a reward of one million rubles for those who provide useful information to identify those responsible for the attacks, and a criminal investigation for terrorist attacks was opened, after the discovery of unexploded ordnance in the districts of Alexeyevsky and Nizhnekamsk , at the end of November .For their part, the local religious leaders - Muslims and Orthodox - have appealed to their communities not to give in to what they call "provocations" aimed at "destroying the good interfaith relations developed over the centuries in the Volga region". "The vandalism against objects and places of worship is a direct insult to the sentiments of the faithful and those responsible for these acts deserve wide public condemnation ," the Metropolitan Anastasius and the mufti of Tatarstan Kamil Samigullin, wrote in a joint statement.
Nina Achmatova, Asia News, December 4, 2013, http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Russia:-seven-churches-burned-in-one-year-in-Tatarstan-29713.html.
Malawi: Human rights activist calls for religious tolerance after violence erupted over sale of pig meat
Mayaya told Nyasa Times that it's worrisome to note about violence that erupted when a trader Paulo Msangwa slaughtered a pig and went to sell it at Maldeco Market in the district.
This provoked the Moslems who rioted and a Magistrate Court ruled on Monday that that Msangwa was wrong because he continued selling the pork after he was warned that it was forbidden to do so in the area.
The ruling attracted a barrage of criticism from many people and others described it as miscarriage of justice.
There was no immediate comment from Minister of Justice Fahad Assani, a Moslem himself. But Mayaya called on Muslims mother body to take a stand on the matter.
"We appeal to the Muslim Association of Malawi and other Islamic umbrella bodies to make united calls for tolerance and peace amongst all communities," Mayaya told Nyasa Times.
"Our differences and traditions must not divide us but rather enrich our diversity and respect for one another.," he added.
The rights campaigner pointed out that "Malawi is a secular state that thrives on diversity. "
He said: "We therefore call upon the Government, faith leaders and communities to thwart any attempts to divide Malawians. We appeal for peace and understanding to prevail.
"Malawi cannot afford to be drawn into conflict. We have more to gain from understanding and recognising diversity rather than courting provocation."Law expert Justin Dzonzi, who is executive director of Justice Link, said there is no land in Malawi that is ruled by religious law...
India: Fatwa to boycott polio campaigns and schools issued in 30 Muslim dominated villages in Sambhal district
The fatwa has been issued in at least 30 Muslim dominated villages in Sambhal district. According to media reports, the cleric, by issuing the fatwa, has been trying to pressurise the state government to make their villages part of the adjoining Moradabad district.
A fine of Rs 500 will be slapped against those who will disobey the fatwa, threatened the cleric. Nearly 10 villages saw a total boycott while others witnessed a partial boycott of polio campaign on Nov 24, said a report.
Meanwhile, poor people of the locality have stopped sending their children to schools. Teachers of the schools have also been threatened to face consequences if they take classes.Media reports quoted villagers who supported the cause of the fatwa. They said Moradabad is very near to their village as compared to Bahjoi, the headquarters of Sambhal district, which is about 70 km away...
Saudi Arabia: Man ends life by setting himself on fire after learning fiancée was breastfed by his mother
"Police men were told that he committed a suicide after learning that the girl he was engaged to was like his sister as she was fed by his mother when she was a baby," the Arabic language daily said.Many people in conservative Saudi Arabia and other Moslem countries believe a baby breastfed by a woman not his mother is considered like her own child, hence he or she can not marry one of that family members.
Pakistan: Man shoots dead his teenage sister after he suspected she was having an affair
During their absence, Ismail's elder son Chanzeb, who lives on his own in the same area, caught his sister talking on the phone while he was visiting his parent's house.
Chanzeb lost his temper over this incident and opened fire on Soneela with his 30-bore pistol. She died on the spot.According to Ismail, the accused had suspected his sister of having an affair but Ismail could not confirm whether the allegation against his daughter was true. Chanzeb fled after killing his sister.
The Express Tribune, December 3, 2013, http://tribune.com.pk/story/640240/in-cold-blood-man-murders-teenage-sister-over-honour/.
Kenya: Armed Muslim youths held mosque under siege for two hours, conducted their prayers before leaving
The youths from the controversial Masjid Musa were armed with knives. They stormed into the Sakina mosque before the Friday Dhuhr prayers.
They held the Sakina mosque under siege for two hours during and conducted their prayers before leaving.
Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya organizing secretary Sheikh Mohammed Khalifa and another Imam were injured after they were roughed up by the rowdy youths.
CIPK chairman Sheikh Mohammed Idris was chased away from the mosque. The youth accused them of betraying the Muslim faithful by working with government security agencies to 'eliminate' fellow clerics.
Police said Sheikh Khalifa was conducting prayers when youth chanting 'Allahu Akbar!' raided the mosque. The Sheikh was rescued and whisked away from mosque.
The Masjid Musa is widely viewed as a centre of Islamist radicalization due its association with assassinated preachers Sheikh Aboud Rogo and Sheikh Ibrahim Ismael.
Sheikh Ismael and Sheikh Rogo were both killed in Mombasa in the last year in similar drive-by shootings by unknown gunmen. Police have denied any involvement in their killings.
Police say the mosque has ties with al Shabaab and is used to radicalize Muslim youths.
According to intelligence reports, some of the youths were Al Shabaab recruits who have returned from Somalia.
The youth vowed to introduce Jihad sermons at all mosques in Mombasa and "deal decisively" with Muslim leaders working with state agencies.
"They were making a statement that they are Mujaheddin ready to fight for Islam at all levels and those seen as traitors will have to surrender the mosque leadership to them or tbe killed," said intelligence sources.
Sheikh Idris told journalists that the youth promised on Thursday evening to forcefully conduct radical preaching at the mosque.
He said they alerted the police but the police could do little as the Masjid Musa youth had mingled with other faithful going into the mosque for prayers at around 12.30pm yesterday.
"When chaos erupted inside the mosque, police officers watched helplessly from outside since they could not enter the mosque. Luckily youths from the mosque managed to rescue Sheikh Khalifa," said Sheikh Idris. He said Sheikh Khalifa's injuries are minor.
Sheikh Idris said they are now fearing for their lives. He denied that they are working with the state agencies to eliminate fellow Muslims.Mombasa police county commander Robert Kitur said they were tipped about plans to disrupt the Friday prayers...
The Star, December 3, 2013, http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-145615/armed-youths-raid-mosque-mombasa.
India: Local journalist beaten up by members of a Muslim group for helping an aged Muslim woman
VT Prasad has been hospitalised for severe injuries and internal bleeding.
According to police, 35 men suspected to be from Karnataka Forum for Dignity (KFD) attacked the reporter near his house, beating him up with clubs and sticks and dragged him to a distance of 100 metres before they dumped him.
The group tried to prevent him from being taken to hospital, blocking the road leading to Kolnad. When the ambulance arrived, they surrounded the vehicle and tried to drag him out. A strong crowd of locals intervened and shifted him to Mangalore hospital, where his condition is stated to be critical, but stable.Prasad helped an old Muslim woman who was living alone in abject poverty. He collected donations from local residents and helped her build a small house on a piece of land she owned. Twice, men claiming to be KFD members intimidated him and warned him against helping Muslim women.
Saudi Arabia: Authorities offer 'jihadist' prisoners freedom if they agree to fight in Syria against government
The article said the "Saudi dictatorship," along with Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and the Israeli regime, has also made a close alliance with the military rulers in Egypt.
Saudi Arabia has been the main supplier of weapons and funds to the militants in Syria.According to a recent report by the French daily Le Figaro, the weapons used by the militants in Syria are initially purchased by Saudi Arabia from black markets in Ukraine and Bulgaria. The arms, which include Israeli missiles, are then transferred to a number of cells on the outskirts of the Syrian capital, Damascus...
ABNA, December 3, 2013, http://www.abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=485686.
Syria: Western-backed rebels break in to Orthodox convent in Christian village, take nuns hostage
Local sources said terrorists broke into the convent, taking Mother Superior Pelagia Sayyaf and other nuns hostage, SANA reported.
The National Observatory for Human Rights in Syria confirmed rebels have retaken Maalula but made no mention of hostage-taking in the convent.
Nuns at Saint Tecla Orthodox convent were forcibly evacuated, but it is not clear whether they were taken hostage after jihadist rebels seized the village of Maalula north of Damascus on Monday, the Apostolic Nuncio to Damascus, Monsignor Mario Zenari, told ANSA. The Nuncio cited sources in the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate.Jihadists first seized the Christian village in September, damaging its churches. Expelled by loyalist and Christian militias, they took up positions in nearby hills, keeping the village center under sniper fire...
"The true crime against humanity in Syria is in Maalula," Christian MP Maria Saddeh told Adnkronos International (AKI), a day after the United Nations implicated Syria's authoritarian president Bashar al-Assad in war crimes.
"Sixteen nuns have been kidnapped, civilians are being killed and a monastery and 60 houses were burnt down yesterday," said Saddeh, who was elected to parliament as an independent.
"A massacre in taking place and the West cannot look on. Nations and the Pope must intervene."
"Maalula is a global symbol of Christianity, part of Syrian and world heritage, where Aramaic is still spoken, where there are churches, monasteries and early Christian archaeological sites," she stressed.
Syrian rebels including the Al-Qaeda affiliated Al-Nusra Front and other jihadist groups overran Maalula north of Damascus after after five days of intense fighting, UK-based monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Monday.
The Observatory claimed that at least 126,000 people have died in the two and a half year conflict between rebels and pro-Assad forces.
Saddeh accused "extremist groups who want to create an Islamic Caliphate" of unleashing "targeted attacks" on Syria's Christians in the conflict as part of a plan to remove the religious minority from the Middle East region.
She called on the international community to "put pressure on those states that support terrorism, above all Saudi Arabia, but also on France".
Rebels abducted 12 Syrian and Lebanese Orthodox nuns from their convent in Maalula on on Monday after moving into the town, Vatican Radio reported, citing Mario Zenari, the Holy See's nunzio or envoy to Syria.The Vatican was "closely following the case of the Maalula nuns held hostage by Islamists in Syria," its spokesman Federico Lombardi said on Tuesday.
"Syrian army forces have started arriving in the Maalula area to restore security, after hundreds of rebels sowed chaos in the city, which they entered through the mountains, and kidnapped 12 Syrian and Lebanese nuns to take them to Yabrud," a rebel town northeast of Maalula, said Al-Watan.
"The terrorists want to use them as human shields," it added.
. . .
Al-Watan's report comes a day after the mother superior of Saydnaya convent in Damascus province, Fibronia Nabhan, said she had spoken with her Maalula counterpart, who confirmed the nuns were in Yabrud.
. . .
Maalula has long been a symbol of the long Christian presence in Syria. Its residents are some of the few left in the world who speak Aramaic, the language that Jesus Christ is believed to have spoken.
US: Mosque takes over former Wheaton Illinois church, city's first Islamic institution
In late August, the Islamic Center of Wheaton bought and moved into the 26,193-square-foot former First Assembly of God Church at 900 E. Geneva Road, at the southwest corner of Geneva Road and President Street. Records show that, through a bank trust, the Islamic Center of Wheaton paid $3.15 million for the church and its 7.08-acre property.
Mosque spokesman Abraham Antar said he and his fellow congregants are excited about their new home, which he said is Wheaton's first Muslim community.
"Wheaton is a city of faith, and we're very privileged to be able to establish an Islamic community for Wheaton and especially for the western suburbs," he said. "There are a lot of Muslims in Wheaton and the surrounding towns. It's unfortunate for the (First Assembly of God) church that they lost their opportunity to stay there."
Antar also said Islamic Center of Wheaton leaders are looking forward to getting to know other religious institutions in the area.
"This is a beautiful location, and one of the great attractions is that it gives us an opportunity as an Islamic organization to really connect with other churches," he said. "It really presents us with an opportunity to really bridge the relationship with all congregations within the area. We haven't really started yet, but we would like to."
Antar said about 700 to 800 men and women have been worshiping at the mosque each Friday.
"Everybody seems really happy with this place," he said.In recent years, the one-story Wheaton church building had been on the market as the church had fallen on hard times. The church, at one point, even proposed a dense, multifamily housing development on the property. In 2011, the church's lender, State Bank of Illinois, initiated foreclosure proceedings. The bank then took title to the property in September 2012 at a sheriff's sale, and the bank sold the property to the mosque. The First Assembly of God stopped holding services and moved out of the building in January, local officials said...
Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, December 2, 2013, http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/suburbs/ct-mosque-wheaton-tl-1205-20131202,0,7706740.story.
Norway: Specialist abattoir has slaughtered the country's first ever halal reindeer meat
"We had the idea one and a half years ago," Dyrstad told The Local. "We spoke to someone who had some contacts in Dubai, and he said that if you want to sell reindeer meat, it has to be halal, so we had to try."
Dyrstad also aims to cure some of the meat as a halal alternative to ham, which he hopes to sell to muslims in Norway.
"We got some information that we could produce some ham from the reindeer, so the children can have ham on their bread," he said.
Mehtab Afsar, General Secretary of the Islamic Council of Norway and one of those who oversaw the slaughter, said he was looking forward to tasting reindeer for the first time."This is a brand new halal product that Muslims have not had access to before. I am told that this is a very good meat, but I've never tasted it myself," he told the Adresseavisen newspaper...
Syria: Western-backed rebels clear all signs of Christianity from a church, turn it into an office for themselves
Websites close to militants say all the exterior and interior symbols and signs showing the building is church have been cleared.
Many churches and mosques have been destroyed by militants in different towns and villages in Syria.
Al-Qaeda-linked groups found Raqqa, broken and torn following offensives launched by Syria militants and it has been months since they made it their home and imposed hardline laws on residents.
The ISIL first came into town on May 15, and swiftly executed men they accused of working for the government.
At first, they seemed a rebel group and a better-organized alternative to the rebels who occupied the city earlier but failed to bring governance or peace for months.
A broader agenda slowly emerged afterwards and began to gather pace each week with Al-Qaeda getting more power and more extreme.
Every couple of days the Al-Qaeda rulers put "Bayanaat" or rulings on town walls, many limiting women's rights -- to walk alone, to style or show their hair.Other edicts come by word of mouth -- no smoking, no cameras. Behind them are often foreign militants
. . .
The extremist groups are attracting more militants from around the world to the war that has taken more than 100,000 lives since it started in March 2011.
Indonesia: Hundreds of Muslims attack Protestant community during prayer service
Eyewitnesses reported that the assault yesterday morning against the Protestant Christian community was led by hundreds of FPI members, supported by some local Islamist groups . The assailants shouted loudly that the "church" is not legal , the authorities in the area, according to the extremists , have not take any decision on the legitimacy of any " activities of worship " in the building .
The Islamists attack comes in conjunction with the decision by local authorities, who must determine whether the place of Christian worship is or is not valid. The case is still pending and the surprise extremist attack could be aimed at putting pressure on judge.
Nasir Ahmad , FPI coordinator, said that the interruption of the Hkbp function had the "support " of the political authorities, as previously insured during a special meeting on 27 November 2013. During the meeting they discussed the issue with the leaders of Binjai . The Islamists claim that the "church" is not legal , because the case " is still pending in court " and has not received the approval of the local population . Zainnudin Purba, an MP for Binjai , points the finger at the local administration which has been unable to make a decision on the matter for more than five years.
Indonesia is the most populous Muslim nation in the world (86 % profess Islam) and, while maintaining the constitutional principle of basic personal freedoms (including religious) , it is increasingly becoming a theater of violence and abuse against minorities . Christians make up 5.7% of the population; Catholics just over 3 %, 1.8 % are Hindu and 3.4% of other religions. The province of Aceh applies Islamic law and many other areas are becoming more radical and extreme the application of the Muslim religion in the lives of citizens.In this context, the FPI has played a leading role in a broad campaign of 'Islamisation'. In a number of places, its members have used violence to impose Sharia-inspired rules and regulations, such as a ban on alcoholic beverages and the prohibition of certain sexual mores. The group, which is opposed by most Indonesians, has also been accused of blocking church construction, using violence to achieve this goal. Since 2000, it has also been blamed in connection with a series of terror attacks that targeted the US Embassy as well as bars, nightclubs, and private clubs, especially during Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting and prayer.
Iraq: Security officials advise cafe owners on how to stop a suicide bomber
From employing private security guards to reducing the number of open entrances, officials gave tips on spotting and deterring militants, hoping to curb the country's worst wave of violence since 2008.
Shootings and bombings have struck all manner of targets in Baghdad and elsewhere, but cafes- where football-mad Iraqis often gather to watch the latest European games- have been badly hit.
Nearly 50 cafes have been bombed nationwide since unrest surged in April 25 in Baghdad alone. The most recent- a suicide bombing in the southwestern neighbourhood of Bayaa- killed 15 people on November 21.
"The security situation faced by cafes means they should appoint one or two guards and close all but one entrance to control the flow of people and stop terrorists who wear explosives belts and want to kill people in cold blood," said Major General Saad Jaafar, deputy chief of Baghdad's security command centre.Jaafar also suggested that cafe proprietors instal security cameras...
Libya: Two Egyptian Christians robbed, beaten and killed by Muslims when they refused to convert to Islam
A shepherd found the men in the desert later that day. They were taken to the hospital, where Shaker was pronounced dead on arrival. Ishaq survived long enough to provide details about the attack to family members. No arrests have been made.
Ishaq was married with two children, while Shaker supported his parents, two sisters, and a disabled brother.
"His family is emotionally devastated," said Gamel Saleem, a cousin of Shaker. "And he was the only financial support they had."
That incident marked the third time in a two-week period that Coptic Christians were robbed and killed in the Derna District.
According to World News Group, other instances of forced conversion of non-Muslims have been reported recently in Nigeria, Somalia, Libya, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, and the Central African Republic.
Islam expert Raymond Ibrahim wrote that forced conversion has ample historical precedent in Islam, with instances reported from 1522.
"Left undisclosed, Muslims will have no incentive to address it," Ibrahim wrote in a recent article about the need for such events to be widely shared. "But if it becomes better exposed in the West, and if Muslim governments and peoples become embarrassed by it, perhaps they'll begin respecting minority rights a little more."
In October The Independent wrote about the rising number of cases of forced Islamic conversions in British prisons, calling the prisons a "breeding ground for extremism."Egyptian Christians living in Libya had been largely untroubled by persecution in recent years, despite the fact that religious freedom was technically not allowed under former Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi. Since the 2011 Libyan Revolution and fall of Gaddafi, however, Islamists filled the power vacuum in certain places, and persecution of non-Muslims has rapidly increased.
Syria: 13-year-old Moroccan boy fights alongside al-Qaeda militants in their war against the Syrian government
According to the Moroccan sources, Osama al-Sha'ara, accompanying his father, took part in clashes in the northern Moroccan city of Tangier before entering Syria.
Ahmed al-Sha'ara, Osama's father, who was a drug smuggler, entered Syria by the help of Salafist groups via Netherlands and Turkey.Hassan al-Haddad, a Moroccan social activist and newspaper reporter, said that numerous Moroccan children have been sent to Syria through various ways, including European countries.
. . .
According to the reports, 600 Moroccan militants have been killed in Syria since the conflict erupted in 2011.
ABNA, December 1, 2013, http://www.abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=485023.
Germany: Convert urges Muslims to join the jihad in Syria and establish an Islamic Caliphate system to rule the world
In the Da'ash video German convert "Abu Osama," a name he picked because he "loves Osama bin Laden," speaks in German, exhorting Muslims worldwide to come to Syria and establish a caliphate to impose Islamic law on the entire globe.
The video can be seen here:
. . .
Abu Osama's words, which mirror the video message of an American convert jihadist who recently called for Islamic global domination, reveal some of the ideological indoctrination being pushed by Al Qaeda in the West.
He begins saying contemplation about the goal of life and the purpose of Creation led him to Islam, adding "I am a German Muslim, and you too can consider the goal of life and submit to Allah like I did."
Abu Osama then attacks secular politicians for making human laws rather than following religious law, saying "we kill the heads of the heretics and their followers to spread world justice and to implement the law of Allah."
His message then gets personal as he says "I am not speaking to the infidels, my words are directed at the Muslims. Are you happy with your life in Germany? Do you go to night clubs and have girlfriends? Get married...and you won't need prostitution. Get married, Allah allowed marrying 4 wives."
Osama then calls for global jihad, saying "my brothers and sisters, come to...fight in jihad, since jihad is an active commandment on every Muslim. ...Donate money (to jihad)."
The German convert closes saying "we love death and we will win here."
While a Geneva peace conference has been called for January 22, prospects are in question as many of the opposition forces refuse to join the talks and Assad refuses to step down as part of a transition in government.The Syrian war, now into its third year, has left over 120,000 dead, including 11,000 children. It has also created 2.2 million Syrian refugees, half of which are children whose future prospects are dim due to low school attendance and child labor.
Dalit Halevi and Ari Yashar, Israel National News, December 1, 2013, http://www.aina.org/news/20131130191059.htm.
Pakistan: Shi'ite convert's headless body found at home, head found on display at a bridge in Karachi
Saleem Raza Qaimkhani was killed by Deobandi terrorists of ASWJ-TTP inside his house in Sector 16-4 in Buffer Zone. The police also found a Panaflex sheet along with the head on Friday. "This is revenge of the Rawalpindi incident," said SHO Ejaz Lodhi.
Taimuria SHO Aijaz Lodhi said the victim, 40-year-old Saleem Raza, was a faith healer who had earlier served as an employee of the Pakistan Navy's civil department.
His headless body was found at his house in KBR Society, Sector 16/A of Buffer Zone.
The police officer said the killers slaughtered Raza at his house and took his head away, which they later put on display at the bridge. When the police reached the crime scene, they were puzzled and horrified to see the mutilated body with the head missing.
"The brutal manner in which the victim was murdered and then his head was cut off so that it could be displayed at a bridge, the crime seems to be motivated by revenge or some other grudge," the police officer said.
When the head was found, the police aired a message about the discovery on its control system. Soon the Taimuria police confirmed that the head belonged to Raza.
The beheading of a body usually has a symbolic meaning – revenge, punishment or sending out a message to others.Taliban and their wings in cities have beheaded hundreds of citizens including security officials across the country.
Egypt fleshes out new constitution enforcing Shari'ah law, military powers and privileges
This is set to be followed by presidential and parliamentary elections in mid-2014.
On Saturday's first day of voting the 50-member panel approved 138 of the 247 articles of the draft charter.
Those articles included one stipulating that Islamic sharia law will be the main source of legislation, as was also the case during the regime of toppled ruler Hosni Mubarak.
The other main article approved was one forbidding the formation of religious parties or parties based on religious grounds. On Sunday, articles 204 and 234 are set to be the focus.
These concern the Egyptian military which led the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July after millions of people called for his resignation after just one year in office.
Article 204 says that "no civilian can be tried by military judges, except for crimes of direct attacks on armed forces, military installations and military personnel".
Secular artists have demonstrated against the provision, saying it could be applied to protesters, journalists and dissidents. Activists and rights groups say that the draft charter also fails to curb the powers and privileges of the military.
Article 234 stipulates that the defence minister be appointed in agreement with the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, although panel spokesman Mohammed Salmawy told AFP this clause will apply only for the first two presidential terms.
The draft constitution also ensures that the military's budget remains beyond civilian scrutiny.
Media reaction on Sunday to the new constitution was generally positive.
"Constitution on its way," said a headline in the independent newspaper Al-Masry Al-Yom, while Al-Watan said: "Sweeping vote on future Constitution."
The interim authorities suspended the previous constitution written under Morsi's presidency after his removal on July 3. That charter was drafted by a 100-member panel that was dominated by his Islamist allies.
The current panel includes representatives from civil society, political parties, institutions such as the army and police, and the Coptic church.
It includes just two Islamists, neither of whom is from Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood which won a series of polls after Mubarak's ouster.The Brotherhood has been the target of a sweeping crackdown since August 14 that has seen more than 1,000 people killed and thousands more arrested.
See Also
- News - A hub page that leads to other articles related to Islam in the news
External Links
- The Religion Of Peace (regularly updated with news links)


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Rick Warren's Second Reformation
Pastor Rick Warren talks about pursuing the "Jesus thing to do"The first reformation of the church was about creeds. The next will be about deeds, says the purpose-driven pastor.
read more »
Rick Warren: 'God Didn't Need Us, He Wanted Us'
Rick Warren talks about his surprising relationship with GodIn part one of a two-part interview, Rick Warren talks about his surprising relationship with God.
read more »
The Blood Sugar Solution
Rick Warren describes his extraordinarily successful experiment for sustained personal growth and changeIn the fall of 2010, I had dinner with Rick Warren, the pastor of the 30,000-strong Saddleback Church in Southern California. Over a healthy dinner of beet and cabbage autumn soup and a salad, he described...
read more »
Rick Warren Quotes
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Rick Warren Videos

subset: commoncrawl


text:
A visit to Bucharest is incomplete without a walk down Lipscani, one of the city's most famous streets. In fact, the street is so iconic, it even lends its name to Bucharest's Old Town, which is often referred to as simply Lipscani.
The street got its name from the large number of traders who once lined its edges, selling wares from one of the biggest trading ports of the time, Leipzig. As the largest commercial street in the area and boasting such a memorable link with the past, the name Lipscani soon became a nickname for the whole, wonderful Old Town area.
What to enjoy on Lipscani Street
There are two distinct sides of Liscani Street to enjoy, the historical buildings it boasts and the modern restaurants, shops and cafes that line its pavements. There are an excellent variety of pubs and clubs to choose from on Lipscani, ensuring it's a wonderful street to traverse no matter what the time of day.
Highlights that shouldn't be missed include the National Bank of Romania, a 19th century building in the French neoclassical style and one of Bucharest's most noteworthy architectural feats. A quick walk through a quant alley will deliver visitors on Blanari Street, home to the awe-inspiring St. Nicolas Church.
Another Lipscani must-see is the idyllic Hanul cu Tei courtyard, which is packed with galleries, antique shops, second-hand book shops, gift shops and artist studios. Holidaymakers are also well advised to take a seat at one of the terraced restaurants and enjoy the atmosphere while others may prefer a short trip to the nearby Bucharest shopping areas.
Hotels near Lipscani
The fabulous, five-star Radisson Blu Hotel, Bucharest is located within the Lipscani district and offers easy access to this beautiful street. Guests will enjoy sumptuous hotel rooms and suites in Bucharest's historic old town, perfect for sightseeing or business trips to the area.


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Location: Aaron's Books
(All events FREE and open to the public)
3pm Skype with author N.D. Wilson from his writing studio in Idaho. Location TBA
6-8pm Local Authors Night. Meet Lititz and Lancaster-based authors for children.
Saturday @ Linden Hall
(A "day pass" to attend Saturday's events may be purchased in advance or at the door)
10 Storytime with author & illustrator Brian Biggs
10:15 Writing Workshop with sisters Alyssa & Courtney Sheinmel
10:30 Mischief & Mayhem with Bad Kitty author Nick Bruel
11-12 BOOK SIGNING- Alyssa, Courtney, Nick, BrianPlease note: we are asking that ONLY books purchased through Aaron's be presented at the signings. If you bring books from other sources, we will ask you to make a purchase other titles from us that day.
11 Meet Lydia & Julie of the Popularity Papers with author Amy Ignatow
11 TEACHER & LIBRARIAN Workshop with author Alison Formento
11:30 Storytime with author & illustrator Daniel Kirk
12:30 Storytime with author Allison Formento
12:30 Writing workshop for tweens & teens with Jessica Spotswood
1 Illustrating and Writing Workshops with Nick Bruel, Amy Ignatow & Brian Biggs
1 TEACHER WORKSHOP- Using Poetry in the Elementary Classroom
1:30 Storytime with storybook character
1:30 The State of Teen Lit, a conversation with A.S. King, Alyssa Sheinmel, & Jessica Spotswood
2 BOOK SIGNING- Amy I, Jessica, Amy K, Allison, DanielPlease note: we are asking that ONLY books purchased through Aaron's be presented at the signings. If you bring books from other sources, we will ask you to make a purchase other titles from us that day.
3 It's a Mystyery! Meet Author Michael Beil and go on an adventure!
The event will updated and expanded as we work with authors' schedules, so check back! Your day pass admits you to any and all events!
Sunday, 3pm
Teacher Appreciation Tea with authors A.S. King, Faith Reese Martin, and Mara Rockliff.
The authors will present information about their school visits and classroom programs, and attendees will learn about all the opportunities available for schools at Aaron's Books.
Tickets- $10 or 4 for $35
Tickets include the tea, free classroom materials, advance copies of yet to be released books, teacher resource materials, and a gift certificate for Aaron's Books


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Why does the display not work after connecting the home button?
While repairing an iPhone 6, which I have done hundreds of, this time after moving the parts over to the new screen and seating the connectors it is a blank display. After studying it, I noticed that when the home button is disconnected the screen will work fine (more specifically the home button itself not the heat shield). If I disconnect the home button and leave the heat shield connector on it will boot and work fine but as soon as a connection is made with that home button to the heat shield it loses display. I replaced the home button and heat shield (with connector) and the issue continues. I have never used this forum to ask a question but I am very curious why this is an issue and how to fix it. Thank you.
Esta é uma boa pergunta?


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In this tutorial, you will learn how to add a video to your personal webpage, and methods of improving the appearance of its display. This tutorial will prepare you to incorporate a multimedia dimension to your website. We will concentrate on the recently popular phenomonon website youtube.com. As youtube explains on its website, "Everyone can watch videos on YouTube—both on YouTube.com and across the Internet. People can see first-hand accounts of current events, find videos about their hobbies and interests, and discover the quirky and unusual. As more people capture special moments on video, YouTube is empowering them to become the broadcasters of tomorrow." In many ways the content on youtube.com is more interesting than popular television shows. If you have never been to youtube.com you should go, search for anything from videos of your favorite muscians to old cartoons that you have not seen in years. Anything that has ever been recorded seems to be on youtube.com.
This tutorial is designed for users who already have a website, or have viewed the "Web Page Creation" tutorial. We will assume that you already have that you are prepared with webspace. However, this process is not difficult, and if you have a simple webpage, and know nothing else about using it, then our tutorial is for you.
We will start by walking you through the simple steps of embeding (putting) the youtube video on your website. Once we have done that we will walk you through steps of customizing the appearance so that the video appears on your website exactly how you want it. We will teach various methods of centering content, changing text color and size, changing the background color, and other useful features.


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asterisk configuration
Budget $250-750 USD
asterisk configuration of a a dedicated server or a virtual private server for belgium and/or other countries.
15 freelancers are bidding on average $308 for this job
hi. can configure asterisk for [login to view URL] can provide asterisk-aware vps with freepbx for 35/monthly
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Hi I am Darin I have more than 3 years of experience in Asterisk, Linux, Windows, Squid and lot of [login to view URL] I have started a support related to Asterisk, Linux/Windows support which delviers 24/7 support with 10 More
I can setup Asterisk/Freepbx server on you server dedicated or VPS. I can start right now.


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Enables companies to meet retention and oversight obligations for content created in the powerful Workplace collaboration platform
San Jose, Calif., April 18, 2017 – Smarsh®, the leading provider of cloud-based information archiving solutions for compliance, e-discovery and risk management, today at F8, Facebook's annual developer conference, announced archiving support for Workplace by Facebook , a collaboration platform that helps organizations get more done.
Smarsh support for Workplace will enable customers to quickly and securely search, review, and produce Workplace content within The Archiving Platform from Smarsh, alongside email, text messaging, social media, and other types of electronic communications—as part of one comprehensive retention and oversight solution.
Organizations in highly regulated industries like financial services that want to use Workplace must also meet the records retention and oversight requirements of organizations such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and other global regulatory agencies, making an integrated archiving and compliance solution critical. In addition, government organizations that use Workplace must retain and produce public records to meet federal Freedom of Information (FOIA) and state open records laws.
"Smarsh is thrilled to announce support for Workplace, which is changing the way people work and helping them stay connected wherever they go," said Stephen Marsh, founder and CEO of Smarsh. "Mutual customers will be more productive using the familiar, collaboration benefits of Workplace, and can protect their organization from compliance and e-discovery risk with Smarsh."
Workplace by Facebook customers can leverage The Archiving Platform from Smarsh to:
- Capture, index, and search Workplace content from News Feed, Groups, Work Chat, Live, files and more in their original format, regardless of a user's device, location, or network
- Search across all communications within Workplace and review fully threaded conversations to see the context of messages, updates, comments, and files
- Leverage a full supervision audit trail that tracks each review session within The Archiving Platform, and actions taken on specific messages
- Escalate and tag Workplace content based on cases, events or topics
- Assign or forward Workplace messages to supervisors for further review
- Export only necessary Workplace data in multiple formats securely and directly to outside company counsel, regulatory examiners or third-party e-discovery providers during litigation events
- Preserve Workplace communication on non-erasable, non-rewriteable media in its native, unaltered format to meet recordkeeping obligations
- Search Workplace content alongside other communications channels, including email, text messaging, and social media, in one consolidated destination in The Archiving Platform from Smarsh
For more information about Smarsh and The Archiving Platform, visit www.smarsh.com.
# # # #
About Smarsh
Smarsh® delivers a comprehensive and integrated stack of cloud-based information archiving applications and services that help companies protect themselves and manage risk. Its centralized platform provides a unified compliance and e-discovery workflow across the entire range of digital communications, including email, public and enterprise social media, websites, instant messaging and mobile messaging. Founded in 2001, Smarsh helps more than 20,000 organizations meet regulatory compliance, e-discovery and record retention requirements. The company is headquartered in Portland, Oregon, with offices in New York City, Boston, Raleigh, N.C., and London.


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Be a poet of the air /
be a poet
of the air
the divine voice
of the source
speaking of itself
to itself
be the source
not the author
of any word
let poetry
dance out of you
until there is nothing
left of you
then who will dance
and sing?
the poetry will continue
like the breeze
it cannot stop
singing the leaves
you be nothing
not even the stillness
be nothing
you are free
this is not your dance
can you not see
that you are
the dance
the dancer
and the dancing?
where will you look now
to find god?
where will you seek
and how?
when you are the song
of the wind
and the dance
of the leaves
when you are the source
of the purest water
from which
others drink?
what can you do
but allow the dance
to continue
without you
knowing all along
that you are the dance
the dancer dancing
and the danced
out of stillness
you spin and turn
taking the breath away
from those who seek outside
turning their attention
until they begin to dance
joining you
the dance grows
in speed and beauty
and more
are drawn in
there is no end to this
nor was there any beginning
this is the beginningless dance
without end


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Posted by Goal 458 days ago
Wondering who to put in and who to leave out of your fantasy football team? Goal has all the latest on expected injured and banned playersRead the rest of this post (external)
© 2019 Everton News - Hotaru CMS theme by mabujo. Powered by Hotaru CMS. :)


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I was reminded by my children this past week of how fast time can seem to fly by. Seems just like a few weeks ago that they were both toddlers…and always with me & by my side.
When they were younger…being by my side sometimes felt to me as having no room of my own.
Other times it felt so safe, comfortable and enjoyable. I enjoyed the time we spent just being together and watching them discover new things along the way.
I have noticed with the advancing technologies that parents seem more distracted than ever before.
This naturally got me thinking.
So here's my 2 cents on 14 ways to stay present and connected with your children.
1. Go for a nice nature walk with you children…doesn't matter their age they will benefit from this time
2. Go to a park with playground equipment
3. Swing your children on the swings
4. Help them slide down the slide…or better yet go down the slide with or after them
5. Have swinging contest with then to see how high the can go! (older children of course)
6. Spray parks are a great way to cool down and enjoy the sunshine…join them in the water too
7. Visit the library and let them choose a few books on their own
8. Have a finger painting day and let them create their fun…join in on the fun and do your own picture too
9. Biking is a great way to enjoy time together…if too young to do on own get a carrier or bike cart for them to be with you on the ride
10. Let toddlers and young children explore their own back yard and go bug collecting
11. Watch the kids do summersaults…join them
12. Collect nature bits with them…stick, leaves, rocks…
13. Turn off your cell phone, iPod, Blackberry, iPhone, computer, TV or anything else that distracts your attention
14. Be in the present moment
What moments are you missing?
Have you decided to stay present in your life yet?
Until next time… Make each day count!
Be Aware,


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Peru's Economy
Type of Economy, Taxes and Stock Market (or lack of)
The type of economy in Peru is very unestablished and is known as a "free market society". Alejandro Toledo wants to
create a market economy, however they currently do not even have a stock market.
Taxes are often used when the government needs money. The government does charge income tax on people, especially the
rich, but in Peru you are in one of two groups of people, you are either rich, or poor.
Taxes are broken down and collected as follows:
- Social Security : 9% - Extraordinary Tax : 2% EMPLOYEE (withholding)- Public or Private Pension Fund
: 13% or 12%- Income Tax rate1: from $0 to $24,260 = 15% from $24,260 to $48,522
= 21% from $48,522 = 30%
There is also a General Sales Tax of 10% on all purchased products.
- Social Security : 9% - Extraordinary Tax : 2% EMPLOYEE (withholding)- Public or Private Pension Fund
: 13% or 12%- Income Tax rate1: from $0 to $24,260 = 15% from $24,260 to $48,522
= 21% from $48,522 = 30%
There is also a General Sales Tax of 10% on all purchased products.
Peru's GDP
Peru's GDP is about 489,958,367,347 Peruvian Nuevo Sols ($146 billion - American, or about $178 billion -
Their GDP per capita is about 16,940 Peruvian Nuevo Sols ($5,100 -
American or $6,225.57 - Canadian)
The GDP Growth Rate is about 4% as of 2003, which is a very significant increase
since 2001 when it was -0.3%.
The Peruvian GDP by sector is as follows:
agriculture: 8% industry: 27% services: 65%
Inflation Rate
Peru's inflation rate is 100% unstable, and will probably be completely different by the time you read this, but as of
2003, their inflation rate was about 2.3%.
The form of currency used in Pery is the Nuevo Sol. You can buy 2.52 Nuevo Sols for $1.00 (CAN). The Peruvian currency
fluctuates often and rarely stays steady for more than one month.
Currency Conversion:
$1.00(CAN) or $0.82(US) = 2.6247 Nuevo Sols
1 Nuevo Sol = $0.381(CAN) = $0.31(US)
Stability of Currency and Market Development
Peru's economy and currency is not stable, however recent events have shown great improvements and hope for
the future. In 2001, a 2.3 billion dollar copper/zinc mine was opened which is widely believed to be the world's largest deposit
of these two metals.This mine will make the Peruvian economy more subject to world market prices due to their dependency on
the mine which will cause even more currency fluctuation.
There are also many budget worries the government has been facing which has caused higher taxes, inflation and
greater currency fluctuation.
The job crisis is also having an impact on the economy and currency. In Lima the capital, the unemployment
rate is up to 30% in some areas which is having unseen effects on the entire country's economy.
In conclusion, although recent gains look promising for Peru's currency, the inflation and fluctuation in currency
make Peru's economy unpredictable. As more international companies continue to invest, the country will become more stabalized
and continue to prosper.
Importing and Exporting
Peru imports machinery, transport equipment, food, petroleum, iron, steel and pharmaceuticals. They mainly import from
the United States, Chile, Spain, Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil and Japan.
Peru exports fish, gold, copper, zinc, lead, coffee, sugar, and cotton. Their exporting partners include the United States,
the United Kingdom, Switzerland, China, Japan, Chile and Brazil.
Income Distribution
The income distribution in Peru is always changing, and it is extremely difficult to state any statistics. However, generally
speaking, about 70% of the nation's income goes towards urban areas, while the remaining 30% goes to rural areas. Looking
at income in more depth, the lowest 10% of Peru's population, receives only about 1.6% of the nation's GDP, while the highest
10% of the population, receives about 35.4% of the Peru's GDP.
Natural Resources
Peru's natural resources include coffee, cotton, sugarcane, rice, wheat, potatoes, corn, cocoa, poultry, beef, wool and
Economic Stability
Peru's economy is not very stable at all. The government is very unstable and thus a lot of economic changes often occur
within the nation. Dmestic problems are also a major factor with decreasing the stability if the Peruvian government.
Trade Barriers
The largest trade barriers in Peru are tariffs. The Peruvian's government has eliminated most restrictions on products
and services, although many different tariffs are still eligible for different products. Whenever Peru suffers a crisis within
the country, they will often place temporary tariffs on many imported products.
Unemployment Rate
Peru's unemployment rate is about 9.7% as of 2003 statistics.
Sectors of Peru's Labour and Economy
There are three different sectors of labour within Peru; they are agriculture, industry, and services. Most people within
Peru work in the service industry, as they often do not need much skill for some of these jobs. The second largest sector
is agriculture. Even though the least amount of the GDP comes from agriculture, many people work in this sector. Farmers will
often hire people at certain times of the year to collect crops. The industry sector is a quickly growing sector within Peru.
Not many people work in this sector, however, with the new education system being introduced within Peru, more people will
be educated enough to work in the industry sector when they graduate.
©Copyright 2004 Peru-4-U
©Copyright 2004 Peru-4-U


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Learn how to be the best Social Media Consultant and have your customers begging for more!
If you want to be the best Social Media Consultant and have your customers come to you begging for more, you must read this article where I talk about my own experiences. I am happy to tell you more about this as I am a member of their School and have joined their affiliate program to help more people start their own full or part-time work doing what they love.
From all the courses, trainings, masterminds that I've taken and all the books that I've read (believe me that has been quite a lot!!), Social Media Manager School with Andrea Vahl and Phyllis Khare has been pivotal in my life and my business as a Social Media Strategist, Social Media Consultant and Social Media Manager.
After a few weeks of pondering, "is this course just another one for my collection?", "Am I going to have the time to finish it?", "Is it going to be relevant to what I want to achieve with my business?"…so many questions in my mind unanswered. However before the start of the training, Andrea Vahl and Phyllis Khare deliver so much value in their webinars, documents, infographics and templates that I saw straightaway that this was going to be the one. Sounds cheesy?? Well, you will see what I mean if you do attend one of their webinars. Their comfortable and down to earth way of delivering, those webinars are so refreshing and they answer all your questions without hesitation and "techie" words. Only one thing though…you DO need to ask those worrying questions that are going through your mind right now.
So, I started the Social Media Manager School Premium training in April 2014 and to be honest with you I had to discipline myself, set aside some hours in the day to actually go through the modules which by the way are packed with so much information that you need to go through them a few times over, take notes and most importantly "practice what they preach". I set up my social accounts a few weeks after I've started #SocialMediaManagerSchool and I can now proudly say that I have a good amount of quality followers that want to share my posts, retweet my blog posts and pin my information and clients are knocking on my door.
What has worked for me was exactly that, as I am going through the modules, I would open one account at the time and work on increasing their reach with my influencers, collaborators and with my target audience. Test what is working and ditch what is not…testing, testing, testing that is my motto.
I learned to LISTEN, ENGAGE, DELIVER good content and SOLVE some other businesses pain points with social media. I am constantly being informed of social trends as I have access to the training modules forever and they are my "social library" and my "go to" place every time I need a refresher.
Besides all the value inside the locked doors of Social Media Manager School, you will get access to an amazing Facebook Private group where there is no spam posts going around, all your colleagues are helping each other, exchanging ideas, brainstorming, meeting offline for coffee and seminars, conferences and unconferences. I have met lots of amazing people, genuine with their ethics and so open about their failures and successes. I have come across a few success stories of how Social Media Manager School has changed their professional lives for good…and a few of them have actually reached the six-figure mark. How cool is that!!!
I have arranged google hangouts with some of my social media manager colleagues and built incredible relationships with others offline…met them for coffee and a piece of cake. Got to have cake!! 😀
You see, the reason why these connections are so important when you are starting your business as a Social Media Manager is that they are crucial when you are stuck on what to post, best practices, brainstorming some key ideas, what to charge for your services and what are the best social media strategies to use. Social is constantly evolving and you need to know what is working and find the appropriate strategies to bridge the gap between "Now" and "Tomorrow" within social.
Social Media Manager School is only available twice a year. The school begins on the 16th of April and after that, you can always leave your name and email address on the waiting list if you are considering taking it later on. There will also be a Summer School coming up. In the meantime, I want to show you what you will be missing if you do not take this training right now:
Besides the FREE Social Media Consultant Starter Kit that Andrea and Phyllis give before the course starts:
- Access to Basics & Bonuses area:
- Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, YouTube and Pinterest basics…cannot really call it "basics" as there is so much information here worth the whole value of the course.
- Ultimate Social Media Editorial Guide
- 3 Signature e-books from Andrea Vahl
- Phyllis Khare Social Media Marketing Checklists
- Coupons and discounts on major social media tools & resources
- and so much more…
- Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, YouTube and Pinterest basics…cannot really call it "basics" as there is so much information here worth the whole value of the course.
- After enrollment, you will get 6 modules drip feed weekly:
- Finding New Clients
- Managing Existing Clients
- Organizing Your Work
- Money Management
- Advanced Marketing Tasks
- Mobile and Beyond
- Finding New Clients
If you decide to go for the premium training…there are so much more information, and extra live calls that you will get and help you be a confident and knowledge Social Media Consultant.
I could go on and on however I hope I said enough to convince you that if you want your Social Media Consultancy business to succeed you need to invest in the right training and take action.
Come on over and I will see you on the inside of our private Facebook group. Let me know if this post has actually helped you decide to take the Social Media Management School Training #SMMSchool15 and if I can help at all to keep you accountable during the course, please send me a private email to firstname.lastname@example.com and I will put aside some time in my calendar to help you… Let's make you a confident and trendy Social Media Consultant.
See you inside of #SMMS15 Social Media Manager School and let's do social properly and connect with a community of experts in this area.
You will also receive my FREE "Social Media Checklists for Your Business".
I value your privacy and would never spam you


text:
What was your view on the decision to postpone the Bahrain Grand Prix?
The decision to postpone the Bahrain Grand Prix was certainly the correct one. Bahrain has its own priorities at this time and it is right that the Bahraini people are able to work together to resolve the situation, away from the spotlight that the first race of the new Formula One season would inevitably bring.
In light of the cancellation of the Bahrain test, what are the team's revised testing plans?
We will be returning to the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona for a final four-day test starting on Wednesday 9 March and concluding on Saturday 12 March. Nico is scheduled to drive the MGP W02 on the Wednesday and Saturday, with Michael driving on the Thursday and Friday.
Will the additional time before the first race be an advantage for the team?
There is no real impact on our development programme as we had no major upgrades planned between Bahrain and Melbourne. The additional two weeks will of course provide a good opportunity to regroup and allow all of the teams to have more preparation time before we arrive in Melbourne for the first race. The car specification for Melbourne will remain the same as we had planned.
What did the team achieve at the Barcelona test last week?
Barcelona was the final test with our launch specification car and we averaged nearly 500km per day, over 50% more than our daily average until that point of testing. It was a good week and we used the opportunity to complete fundamental set-up work, develop our understanding of how to maximise the tyres over a single lap, and to improve our long-run performance. We successfully completed two race simulations with Michael and Nico at the first attempt, with the car finishing in good condition and without issues.
After Jerez, you mentioned that the car was running with compromises. What were they and have they cost car performance?
The biggest challenge for us so far has been a cooling problem. The short-term modifications that we made to the launch-specification car cost a reasonable amount of performance. The solution has been incorporated into the bodywork design for our upgrade package and will recover that performance before the first race.
The team was testing different front wing variants in Barcelona. What was the purpose of this work?
The front wing that we used in Barcelona will not be our final race specification but is moving closer to the wing that we will use in Melbourne. Our previous front wing was based heavily on the 2010 version, while the wing that we used in Barcelona moved closer to our 2011 design. We used the opportunity to investigate and confirm our direction before finally signing off the race-specification wing.
It has been suggested that the team's performance is some way off the front runners. Are you worried?
It's a fair statement. We are well aware of the pace of our current car, the distance to the current front runners and the reasons for this, which include the compromises brought about by our cooling issues. Our intention was always to launch the car in a fairly basic specification to allow more time to focus on the upgrade package. This inevitably means that we look further off the pace than people might expect. Knowing all of the facts, I am comfortable with our current position and the developments that we have to come.
What was the drivers' feedback following the Barcelona test?
Both Michael and Nico left Barcelona with a much better appreciation of how to use the tyres and how to adapt their driving styles to get the most out of the new Pirelli compounds. Much of our focus at the test was to prepare the drivers for race weekend scenarios, including the race and qualifying simulations using KERS and the adjustable rear wing, and both drivers were happy with our progress.
Are you confident that the team has got on top of the reliability problems you have been experiencing?
Yes. You naturally expect to experience faults with a new car and fortunately we've had relatively few of a 'car-stopping' nature so the impact on our programme has not been significant. Our mileage has been good, we've covered 4300kms over the three tests to date and, of course, the more mileage you can achieve, the more opportunities there are to identify any issues and resolve them before the season gets underway.
What reasons do you have to be encouraged after Barcelona?
Barcelona was certainly our best test to date and we have made continued progress since the launch of the MGP W02 in Valencia. The reliability of the car is now better and our upgrade package is coming together well, ready to be on the car for the fourth and final pre-season test in Barcelona.
After achieving fourth place last year, the team's target is to improve. Will the MGP W02 be good enough to compete with the top three teams once the season starts?
It's still too early to say but I am sure everybody will know more after the final Barcelona test. We have a very good base to build on. Our team is progressing very well and the Silver Arrow is coming together. Our target remains to take a step forward compared to last year and to compete with the best.


text: Business counselors are frequently asked to get involved in documenting the dissociation of a partner or member from a partnership or an LLC. Dissociation is the formal legalistic term for a parting of the ways among the ownership group of a partnership or LLC and includes both voluntary and involuntary terminations of the interest of the dissociated partner or member. Business counselors must carefully advise the parties about the various structures that can be used to complete the dissociation and since termination of the relationship raises thorny issues regarding valuation and post-termination activities it is recommended that everyone involved be given an opportunity to seek their own independent counsel before actually signing the documentation relating to the termination. To learn more about being an effective counselor at a difficult time, see my recent post on documenting partner or member dissociations at the Legal Solutions Blog.


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Anand Mathur
Mamata Banerjee's rule of Bengal has revealed her dark side to the public. The woman that was worshipped by the masses is now reviled and feared by them. It is a matter of time before the CPI (M) realizes her follies and capitalizes on them like Tarun Gogoi. I will explain how later.
Bengal regularly has its Mulayamesque moments these days. Her Government has illegally promised 3 cottahs of land and Rs. 2,500 per month honorarium to the Imams of 30,000 mosques of Bengal. She then followed it up with a Rs. 1,000 per month honorarium to the Muezzins of the mosques. Besides these unconstitutional acts she has used the backdoor to provide reservations to Muslims in government jobs.
Bengal is rife with communal riots these days but they go unreported due to media black-out. The fanatics among the Muslims have never had it better before. She is known to kow-tow to top Islamist zealots, known people with dubious backgrounds and ISI links and to assure them of her support in lieu of the blinkered minority community vote banks they control.
Due to her pressure the BSF is being forced to take a back-seat in protecting our borders from infiltration. During the last years of CPI (M) and Chidambaram's tenure there was a measure of control regained on the eastern borders.
Again over the last few months she has had supporters of Hindu Samhati (a hindu action forum) beaten mercilessly and jailed, when they protested against police inaction in riot hit areas. She has tried to stop their legal protests and her government has faced humiliation in the court for its ham handedness and illegal moves against the organization.
Hundreds of homes of the majority community and places of religious worship have been burnt and desecrated without any action from the administration.
Rapes and kidnappings of majority community girls and women are common and the names of the alleged perpetrators of these crimes sound like they are from a specific minority community. However, these criminals are protected by their community leaders under contorted Islamist policies and intolerance of diversity.
"Majority" community homes and lands are encroached upon with audacity and tenants eliminated. The administration does not react due to their fear of Mamata's blatant interference. Mosques regularly mushroom next to temples with the sole purpose of disrupting the peace of the area. It is an open secret that Wahhabis of Saudi Arabia are funding these mosques spectacularly to spread their poisonous version of religious bigotry. In a move that defies belief she has agreed to recognize thousands of such Madrasas!
The recent episode of rioting after a local newspaper made a gaffe shocked the complacent Hindus of Kolkata too.
Despite this the left remains crippled and unable to capitalize on the situation. The truth is that the so called "seculars" and the "Hindu right wingers" are unanimous in their feelings of disgust about the blatant appeasements of Islamists.
The Assamese people united to vote Tarun Gogoi to power and the BJP lost several seats when he took the correct administrative stand.
The CPI (M) should realize the same. Mr. Buddhadeb Bhattacharaya was already pro-Industry and had its support unlike Mamata who has alienated all. CPI (M) should not shy from a confrontation with the Islamists. All secular and Hindu votes will automatically consolidate in their favour.
Nevertheless, Mamata Banerjee remains blinkered about what the people want and how to go about it. She recently did announce a grant and autonomy for Ramakrishna Mission to shore up her sagging image but then she continues to swing her sword in the dark with dangerous motivations.
Illustration / Satish Acharya


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Russian women Ukraine.
Beautiful Ukrainian women and wonderful Russian girls exciting story: joyful living and amazing travel.
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The artistic photos are presented here only to illustrate the beauty of Ukrainian women. All pictures in this photo gallery are the copyrighted works of worldwide photographers. All images and texts are available for your private viewing only. You may not use the content of this site for any purposes. The author provides no warranty about the content or accuracy of content enclosed. Site copyright © 2012 RWNet. All rights reserved.
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How do I upload new Themes to my WordPress blog?
12th July 2007 / No Comments »
Themes are located in the following path on your web server:
You can access this directory on your web server using an FTP program like SmartFTP, FileZilla, CuteFTP, or WS_FTP.
We have preinstalled several themes on all sites.
To learn more about themes, check out Using Themes in the WordPress Docs.


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Two years ago I started this blog with my first entry.
One year ago I looked back over the first twelve months.
People who know me, know that I love rituals, repetition and looking back. So it will be no surprise that I have to look back today and take count.
I am still blogging which makes me happy because it's almost the only regular writing for pleasure that I am doing. During the last 12 months I wrote blog entry #112 to #169 which makes for 57 new ones. I don't want to say only 57 because I kind of learnt not to put myself under too much pressure. Even though I wrote less, more people than last year stopped by (17720) and they left an amazing 455 comments (well it was probably only half of that because I always try to write back). Thank you all so much, it always makes my day and some of you have left comments so regularly that I feel very much loved.
I still mostly write about knitting, travelling and a bit of family stuff and a little bit of reading in between which sums up the good things of my life quite well.
I recently started writing daily in a paper journal again, something I used to do for about ten years but then I fell off the wagon. I started with a "365 questions and answers for five years" journal on the first of September and I really like answering a question a day so far.
Today's questions is: "A decision that you made today was..."
What would your own answer be?
Sunday, 18 September 2016
Happy two year bloggiversary to me
4 comments:
Congratulations on two years! I have been a long time reader of your blog and I have really enjoyed it. A decision I made today was to relax and take some time for myself...it's going to be a great day : )ReplyDelete
Congrats on your anniversary! I am always happy to be here! Decision I made today is to become better at time management - especially make more time for relaxing and for spending more time with my family! Looking forward to more blog posts from you! I absolutely adore your knitting and your travel entries!ReplyDelete
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About Us
Video for my Website is part of EditPoint. EditPoint has been providing video, audio and multimedia services to both the corporate and domestic market since 1992.
From our office in Rochester in Kent (map) we provide a complete range of video/audio related services as well as producing short, low cost, corporate video productions to the client's specifications.
Our clients are quite diverse in their needs and have included Sainsbury's, Marley, NHS, Wurth UK, Halifax Property Services, Robert Dyas, Europa Worldwide Services, SelClene, Mowlem, Medway Council, MHS Homes, Safesite, Berwin Leighton Paisner, Kimberly Clark and many more
We are qualified fellow members of the Institute of Videography.


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February 2007 - Present Day Tui Ltd
Developer and Systems Administrator
Developer and Systems Administrator
- Development of native iPhone and iPad applications (current primary role) using the Apple Xcode environment. This has involved a number of projects for various customers, some prototyping work that clients have used for internal demonstration purposes as well as 1 application currently in the iTunes app store ( 2 iPhone applications and 1 iPad application for a national newspaper and 1 iPad application developed for an international news agency).
- Implementation of websites using PHP/MySQL/Linux. The majority of the work has been carried out using the Symfony PHP framework.
- Responsible for all of Tui's Unix and network systems as well as managing web servers for a number of clients on Amazon AWS and similar cloud infrastructure.
- Providing systems consulting to clients requiring new web hosting environments.
April 2006 - October 2006 School of Oriental and African Studies
Web Systems Developer
Web Systems Developer
- Part of team developing the new external website for the school. Responsible for the installation and setup of live and development web servers and content management servers running Percussion Rhythmyx CMS, Oracle and Redhat Enterprise Server OS on Dell PowerEdge servers.
- Developed Perl scripts to extract and clean HTML from existing CMS system ready for transfer to the new CMS.
- As part of the new web systems build installed and configured a network monitoring system using Nagios software.
- Developed a new phone and email directory database to support web based directory lookup and other systems such as help desk support software. Transferred existing data held in an Access database to MySQL as well as syncing data held in an Oracle database maintained by the Personnel Department.
November 2002 - April 2006 www.mondaymorning.co.uk
Freelance I.T. Consultant
Working as a freelance consultant specialising in Unix/Linux, networking, programming. Clients include: School of Oriental and African Studies
Freelance I.T. Consultant
Working as a freelance consultant specialising in Unix/Linux, networking, programming. Clients include: School of Oriental and African Studies
- Setup and configuration of a Shibboleth server and integration with the existing intranet single sign on system.
- Responsible for the specification, design and implementation of the Schools intranet system. This encompasses projects such as help desk support, internal directories and image databases. Development has been on Linux using Apache/mod_perl/PHP.
- Continued development of the network management database. A system that allows the network team to manage DHCP and CISCO vlan membership on the colleges network through a password protected web form for staff and a self registration web form for students.
- Designed and created MySQL database and PHP pages for import, search and display of Lloyd's ships register data.
- Installation and setup of a Linux server for the Young TransNet project.
June 2000 - October 2002 Bibliotech Ltd
Network and Systems Manager, Developer
Network and Systems Manager, Developer
- Development. Part of the technical team developing the SchoolMaster community site using Perl/mod_perl. Responsible for design and implementation of a customised email system using the Exim mail relay agent.
- Systems. Lead systems developer responsible for a number of projects including SchoolMaster filtered email, systems monitoring and statistics presentation. Provided support for production systems ranging from Linux Web Servers to Informix database servers running on Sun Solaris.
- Office Network. Responsible for the site network and the firewall. Implemented a remote access solution using an OpenBSD firewall to give secure office networking and IPSEC based VPN services.
2000 - 2001 Bibliotech Ltd
Network Operations Manager
Network Operations Manager
- Network. Responsible for the design and maintenance of the production network. Built using Cisco and Alteon equipment to provide a redundant load balanced service. Liaised with various ISP's to provide connectivity to both office and colocation networks.
- Systems. Working as a member of the systems team designing and maintaining the production servers. Using software such as Sendmail, Exim, Apache and Bind running on Linux. Liaised with Research and Development in order to ensure timely and safe code roll outs.
- Development. Responsible for design and development of the company's web hosting service. This was implemented using Apache with Perl CGI scripts and a Postgres database.
1998 - 2000 Imperial College Computer Centre
Network Consultant
Network Consultant
- Network Support. Responsible for the design, installation and maintenance of the core Imperial College network ( 5000+ hosts ), remote Medical School sites and associated WAN links, Email provision, DNS and monitoring services. Working with Help Desks and other organisations to maintain and develop academic networks within London.
- TCP/IP. Imperial College core network. This required skills including. Gigabit Ethernet; FDDI; ATM systems (Fore and 3Com); WAN links; Layer 2 switching; routing; Layer 4 switching; Cisco Routers including use of Cisco IOS software; 3Com routers and switches; RIP; OSPF; BGP; Firewalls (Checkpoint Firewall 1).
- Network Services. Installing and maintaining email systems (primarily Exim MTA), DNS (BIND V4,8), FTP and Web services (servers and caches).
- Unix skills. Installation and maintenance of Sun Solaris and Linux systems.
1996 - 1998 Imperial College Computer Centre
Database Developer and PC Analyst
Database Developer and PC Analyst
- Database development. Responsible for developing a replacement for the College User Registration system. This involved design and implementation of a database recording information concerning all computing accounts at Imperial College; a Java middleware component; clients to export user data and migration of data from legacy system. Other work included publishing of database data to the Web and various database structural designs. This work was mainly carried out on Microsoft SQL Sever using Microsoft Transact SQL.
- Windows NT. Installed and maintained NT server systems including a Citrix Winframe server.
- Application support. Installation and support of commercial and freeware PC and Unix applications. Responsible for compilation and packaging of supported Gnu software on various Unix platforms.
- Programming. Development work undertaken with C, Java, Awk, Perl and Unix shell. Experience with C++ and Fortran. Technologies used include Motif, Windows MFC, CORBA, Java JDBC, Unix Systems, Java Servlets, BSD Sockets.


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|Area News | Home | Marketplace | Community
|Paynesville Press - November 23, 2005
PAHS honored for double five-star rating
Paynesville Area High School was one of 12 high schools in the state to earn a five-star rating in both reading and math on the 2005 school rankings. Principals Lorie Floura and Deb Gillman represented the school at a meeting with the other double five-star schools, facilitated by Minnesota Department of Education Commissioner Alice Seagren, on Thursday, Nov. 3.
"It was really an honor to be there," said Floura, the secondary school principal, including PAHS.
At the meeting were representatives of the 12 high schools in the state that earned five-star ratings in both reading and math this year.
In addition to Paynesville, the other schools were: Bloomington Jefferson; Eastview; Edina; the Math and Science Academy (a charter school in Woodbury); Mounds View; Northfield; Orono; Rosemount; St. Anthony Village; Watertown-Mayer; and Woodbury.
Five-star ratings are the top honor for schools on the annual report cards for "No Child Left Behind." Reading results are based on the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment given to tenth graders in the 2004-05 school year, and math results are based on the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) given to juniors in 2004-05.
To earn a five-star rating, a school must make Adequate Yearly Progress under "No Child Left Behind," and it must meet at least two additional criteria: either having fewer than 10 percent of students score in Levels I and II on the MCA; having more than 30 percent scoring in Level 5 on the MCA; having a test performance in the top 25 percent of comparable schools (based on the number of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, a socio-economic indicator); or having a test performance in the top 10 percent of comparable schools (based on school size).
In reading, Paynesville students made AYP, had fewer than 10 percent in Levels I and II, had a reading performance rank in the top 25 percent among comparable schools (in free/ reduced students, and had a reading performance in the top 10 percent among comparable schools (in size). PAHS also earned a five-star ranking in reading last year, the first year for these school report cards.
In math, Paynesville students made AYP, had a math performance rank in the top 25 percent among comparable schools (in free/ reduced students, and had a math performance in the top 10 percent among comparable schools (in size). PAHS earned a four-star rating in math last year.
Among neighboring school districts, only EV-W High School earned even one five-star rating this year (in math). (Eden Valley Elementary School was a double five-star elementary school.)
The meeting of double five-star high schools, according to Dr. Mary Ann Nelson, the assistant commissioner for academic excellence at the Minnesota Department of Education, was intended to celebrate the success of these schools, to gain insight into what they have done to be successful, and to talk about new initiatives by the Department of Education.
The two-hour meeting was meant to be informal, said Nelson, and was moderated by Commissioner Seagren, who was "thrilled" with the dialogue and "intrigued" and "impressed" by the input from these school leaders.
Seagren, who facilitated all but 15 minutes of the meeting, asked lots of questions trying to discover why these schools were so successful, said Nelson. The discussion ranged from successful strategies that these schools had used to increase student achievement and to challenges that the schools continue to face. There was lots of cross dialogue between the school representatives, and the dialogue went so well that only a little time was left to present new department initiatives, said Nelson.
It was a "big honor to be at the table with the other districts," said Floura. "It was just neat to be able to listen," she added.
Paynesville was the last to share at the forum, said Gillman, who serves as the district's curriculum coordinator as well as its elementary principal. Paynesville was able to achieve this double five-star rating despite limiting its spending on staff development in recent years to help balance its budget and rebuild a fund balance. While Paynesville has spent less than one percent of its budget on staff development for the last four or five years, Edina spends two percent annually, said Gillman.
When they talked about Paynesville's efforts to improve student achievement without staff development funding, "that got their attention," said Gillman.
"Jaws dropped," added Floura.
The two local administrators agreed that the Paynesville staff deserves a lot of credit for their work. The staff has worked hard, often on its own initiative, said Flora. "(We're) really proud of our staff," added Gillman.
Parents, students, staff, and the community should take pride in being a double five-star high school, continued Gillman.
And while this ranking specifically comes from test performance at the high-school level, Floura said it recognizes the strong foundation of education these students got at Paynesville Area Elementary School and Paynesville Area Middle School.
Paynesville was the second smallest high school to earn five-star ratings in both reading and math - only the Math and Science Academy, a charter school in Woodbury, had a lower enrollment than Paynesville - and it was the only rural school to do this (counting Watertown-Mayer and Northfield as suburban schools).
While PAHS's strong test scores were not as high as the other suburban schools that earned double five-star ratings, Paynesville had the highest number of students who qualify for free and reduced-price lunches and one of the highest rates of special educaton students. The number of students qualifying for free and reduced-price lunches is a key socio-economic indicator, and PAHS had 23 percent of its student qualify; Watertown-Mayer was next with 14 percent.
One commonality between all the high schools that earned a double five-star rating were the personal connections between staff and students, said Floura and Gillman.
Students across the state of Minnesota continue to excel, said Nelson, citing the state's top rating on the ACT test as one example, and one purpose of the meeting of double five-star high schools was to celebrate the success of these schools. The Minnesota Department of Education continues to try and dialogue with students, parents, teachers, administrators, business leaders, and the community about preparing Minnesota students for succeeding in the global economy and how education needs to evolve to continue to excel.
Floura and Gillman, who recapped this meeting for the district's curriculum committee, also on Thursday, Nov. 3, and for the Paynesville Area School Board on Wednesday, Nov. 9, said Paynesville schools need to continue to look for ways to increase student achievement. "We should be very proud of (this honor) and learn from it," said Floura, "but we need to continue to strive for improvement."
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I began marking the pages of the places I have seen with colourful stickers. And as I slowly continue to travel, the book gains character from the array of stickers that grace its pages. I should mention that I have a slight competitive nature though. I knew something felt different when I pressed my first sticker down onto the page that described the Eiffel Tower. After smoothing the non-sticky side with my thumb, I felt as though I had made a small accomplishment. It was such a rush after every added sticker.
I started asking anyone on the street if they'd heard of Cafe Society, frantically pointing to the photo and the blurb from the book, but there was no hope. We even walked parts of the city we hadn't seen just for the slightest hope that it could possibly pop up. I was starting to believe the cafe didn't even exist at the same time that my friend was beginning to get suspicious and catch onto my secret addiction. He was getting tired and wanted to stop searching, however I still had my heart set on stickering that page. It almost resulted in a fight until...
We ended up running into the American Hotel that the cafe was randomly located inside of. By the time we found it, we were both so exhausted from the search and my friend was so fed up with me that he didn't even want to hear the words "cafe" or "society" ever again.
So my book will always remain one sticker short. I'll go on knowing there is now 999 possible places from the book I'll see before I die... Or I may just visit the cafe if I ever return to Amsterdam. I can assure you though, my addiction isn't as bad and not to worry because I won't be booking a flight to Amsterdam anytime soon just to see that cafe.
P.S. Has anyone really been to this Cafe Society? Just curious!