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In a very real sense the need for Project Vote Smart was born in the 1787 Constitutional Convention. Unbridled power, "factions" that might deform their vision and an informed people were our Founding Fathers' paramount concerns.
Had they also been able to witness the great fortune of their design they would be pleased. However, had they also been able to witness the future ability of "factions" to torture truth, influence the structure and purpose of their creation by effectively frustrating the people's ability to be informed, they clearly would have created Vote Smart or something very much like it.
It was through this awareness by political leaders of both parties (Ford, Carter, Goldwater, McGovern, Frenzel, Leach, Ferraro, Proxmire, Hatfield etc.) and members of groups like the League of Women Voters, Common Cause and the American Taxpayers Union, along with third party leaders like the Libertarian, Green and Natural Law Parties and their concerns about the changing character and conduct of politicians and campaigns that Project Vote Smart was born.
For me, the Project started one night in 1986 when I was making my closing remarks in a televised debate as the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate. My consultants, fearing that I was falling behind in the polls, had me practice a vicious attack against my opponent--a typical political strategy for the politician in trouble. However, when the time came, I could not do it, and instead I turned to the camera and said these words:
It wasn't a very effective argument for getting votes, nor did it make my campaign staff very happy, but a week later, it would lead to the beginnings of Project Vote Smart. I was sitting alone with Barry Goldwater (he was retiring from the Senate seat I was running for) in his office and discussing the debate. As an old friend of my father's, I expected him to chastise my liberal positions, but no, his interest was in my closing argument. One of the few who at the time actually heard and understood what I had said, the Senator was disturbed and angrily pointed out that the nature of campaigns had changed and politicians could no longer spend their time and energy on matters of public concern. He said he just didn't want to do it anymore. I was both dumbfounded and inspired. That was why he was getting out!
Those many years ago I had my moment of clarity and it began a long series of discussions over many years with others, eventually to include my opponent in that Senate campaign, John McCain, who would later become a strong proponent of the Project and join its board.
It was unclear what might be done to insure that citizens had at least one source to easily acquire accurate information about those that govern or those that wish to replace those who do.
In 1988 Vote Smart incorporated so that we might raise a little money and test various methods of providing citizen information that would be both trusted, regardless of the citizen's political point of view, and relevant to their own perhaps unique interests.
What we eventually decided remains as the heart of Project Vote Smart today. We would acquire from each candidate, with or without their cooperation, a detailed application of employment -the same kind of information, in the same categories that any employer would insist upon from anyone else applying for any other kind of job. We asked ourselves: what does an employer need to know in order to hire prudently?
Political scientists and journalists were brought into the discussions and we designed a system that both would collect the information and then provide what we called "at your whim" access to citizens. We called it a Voter's Self-Defense System.
The information collection would be done by student interns and volunteers, strictly supervised to insure the accuracy and usefulness of the data. Then the information would be available to citizens over a toll-free Voter's Research Hotline - much like a local library. A citizen would simply have to pick up the phone, dial a number and get their own researcher to look up whatever they needed about any politician they were interested in.
The Voter's Self-Defense System would be a source of accurate, dependable relevant information to which any citizen, right wing conservative or left wing liberal, could turn to in absolute confidence. We would soon learn that our approach would not just be used to get basic information, but that citizens, frustrated by the manipulative tactics of the modern campaign, would use it to check the credibility of a politician's often misleading claims.
In 1989, the group decided to test their idea during the 1990 elections in North Carolina and Nebraska. Volunteers and students researched 135 foundations that seemed to have some interest in governance and applied for grants. However none of the foundations were willing to fund the test. Many felt that the project was too "academic" and voters would not go to the trouble of using it. As one presidential campaign would later say, "They won't use it unless it comes with a free ginzu knife!" Or as one foundation said, "It simply isn't sexy enough."
As a result, board members contributed $40,000 to fund the test which would be conducted during the last two months of the 1990 general election. Senator William Proxmire (Dem.) and Congressman Jim Leach (Rep.) flew to Raleigh, North Carolina and Lincoln, Nebraska, held press conferences (the only advertising we would do) and announced that if the citizens of North Carolina and Nebraska were tired of the often self-serving claims made by the campaigns they simply needed to pick up their phones, call 888-VoteSmart and they would get a real human being—a researcher who could look up any information they needed in five basic categories:
Wanting to prove that citizens were perfectly able and willing to defend themselves from misinformation or lack of information, students and volunteers staffed 8 phones, 24 hours a day, for the two months leading up to the general election. The staff handled just over 2000 inquiries in the two days following the press conferences with the lines reaching saturation (all lines being used) 18 times before Election Day.
The success of the test generated considerable excitement amongst the volunteers, students and board members. As a result, three unique self-imposed rules were designed to protect the Project's independence, public trust and unquestioned credibility:
Vote Smart also recognized that to succeed it would need a constant supply of student interns and sufficient office space. Twenty-two universities competed to sponsor Vote Smart on their campuses, each one willing to provide a minimum bid of 2,500 sq. ft. in office space on campus and 200 students interns a year to work on it.
Oregon State University was selected to house our first center. We opened our offices there and inaugurated Project Vote Smart nationwide during the 1992 elections, covering the presidential and gubernatorial contests and 1350 candidates (third parties included) for congress. Although 450 students and volunteers worked on Vote Smart's programs that year it was not sufficient to handle the 211,000 citizen inquiries we received through our Voter's Research Hotline. During that election PBS's NewsHour did a seven-minute segment covering what Vote Smart was going to try and build, ending the show with Vote Smart's Hotline number on the screen. Vote Smart was immediately hit with so many simultaneous calls that the computers at Northwestern Bell (the telephone operating company in the northwest region of the U.S.) crashed. It was estimated that the company received 35,000 calls in a ten-second period. The calls continued to pour in for weeks and Vote Smart suddenly quadrupled its membership.
As a result of this success, and at the suggestion of Governor Michael Dukakis, a Project Board member, we opened a second research center at Northeastern University in Boston in 1994.
During the following six years Vote Smart's database grew significantly more powerful and the use of the Project's growing resources continued to grow. A number of special features were added in order to help meet the demand. These included:
A test was done in the Greater Atlanta and San Francisco Bay Area, where Vote Smart data wasdistributed by bi-lingual Hotline researchers and information on local candidates was available in Spanish, Vietnamese and Mandarin. A post-election study by Oregon State University and Washington State University proved the data had a very positive impact on minorities, low income and poor, disenfranchised voters.
By 1997 Vote Smart was confronted with a serious problem born out of its own success. At Oregon State University we were running out of space and the student interns essential to the work. Every senior, junior and sophomore student interested in politics that could qualify for a student internship had done it with Project Vote Smart and we were now trying to survive on the incoming freshmen classes. Having a dependable supply of students and volunteers working on the Project was essential. In fact, one staff review done in 1998 showed that if we had paid all of the students and volunteers who had come to work at Vote Smart from 1992 through 1998 minimum wage our budget would have increased over 300%, which would have resulted in bankruptcy.
Demands on the Project were exploding and while the universities were able to double our space they could do no more, and our bright, competent, committed, inexpensive labor pool was beginning to diminish.
In 1999, after searching 15 locations in 7 states Vote Smart decided to build its own campus. The site was selected based on three criteria:
A ranch in the Montana Rockies with lakes and streams, surrounded by a pristine wilderness was selected following an agreement requiring the local utility company to provide 26 miles of underground fiber optics for T-1 lines and other communication needs.
The new facility, within a few miles of the Continental Divide, was named the Great Divide Ranch Research Retreat. The principal road on the property was re-named One Common Ground. The facilities more than tripled Vote Smart's office space, housing space and website capacities. The Great Divide Ranch, with its own streams, lakes and surrounded by snow-capped peaks, also provided an extraordinary wilderness experience for those willing to do the grueling work at Vote Smart.
By the end of the 2000 general elections Vote Smart had completed all of the essential components of the original program design. We were covering all federal, gubernatorial and state legislative politicians with our five categories of data: Biographies, Voting Records, Issue Positions, Special Interest Ratings, and Campaign Finances, and began to plan a national tour to announce the completion of the Voter's Self-Defense System for the 2004 election.
However, we ran into a big stumbling block. Key Votes, the most important component of our voting records database had been compiled jointly since 1992 with an organization called Congressional Quarterly (CQ), thus it was jointly owned. CQ had discovered that many of their paying subscribers were dropping their subscriptions because they could get the information they needed free from Vote Smart. This resulted in CQ dropping their collaboration with Vote Smart and threatening to sue if these Key Votes were not removed from our database.Rebuilding twelve years of Key Votes required creating a new Key Votes Division at Vote Smart, with more staff, more interns and more facilities, before we could formally announce the completion of the Voter's Self-Defense System.
A fundraiser was held, enabling Vote Smart to construct a new office building and three new cabins for housing staff, students and full-time volunteers.
By 2005, other new Program components were added, including:
This required us to put the brakes on a second time and create yet another whole research division at Vote Smart. It was a team to collect every public comment (speech or interview) of every gubernatorial, congressional and presidential politician and put them in key word searchable databases. The purpose was to provide to citizens any comments ever made on a subject even when the politician would not answer a direct questions regarding it.
In 2008, with the completion of what was now all six major databases, Vote Smart announced the Voter's Self-Defense System nationally. This announcement included:
According to surveys conducted by Oregon State University and Washington State University, Vote Smart was able to reach 12.5% of the American public with knowledge of its immense database.
To many this was a success but to this writer it was a failure. The expectation was that it would take the country by storm. What better solution to our frustration with the behavior of politicians than a database that contained every relevant fact on that behavior?In analyzing the user's experience on our website after the 2008 elections it seemed clear that the database was too rich, too deep and required too much time for citizens to navigate.
In 2010, during the congressional elections, a new system of data delivery was tested, based on data visualization models. Called VoteEasy, the system simply required the user to type in their zip code and all of the candidates in their area appeared on lawn signs in front of the Capitol building. When the user answered twelve questions on major issues facing the country, the yard signs would either retreat in disagreement or advance in agreement, depending on their public record. If the user questioned the signs' movement they simply clicked on it and could see the factual evidence in a voting record, statement, rating, or other factual evidence.
The system became so popular that during the 2010 elections, even when extra computer servers were installed, our computer servers went down for the first time in Vote Smart history. It had gone "viral" and we were not prepared to handle the demand.
VoteEasy greatly enhanced our K-12 classroom curriculum materials. The materials were used by over 1000 school teachers throughout the country.
Widely hailed as an innovative tool for the average voter, VoteEasy was honored with a 2011 WebVisionary Award, a Communication Arts Interactive Annual Award, and was selected for the Museum of Modern Art's "Talk to Me" exhibit showing the most advanced methods of displaying complex data sets.
Two years later the VoteEasy interactive visualization was again tested during the 2012 general elections. This time it included the presidential candidates, and more backup servers were in place. Unique visitors to Vote Smart went up by 1.8 million (33%) over 2010, with VoteEasy usage growing by 53%.
It seems clear that citizens do not have either the time or interest to spend examining the "Big Data" that Vote Smart accumulates and makes understandable and useful on politicians. For this reason, in 2014 Vote Smart will continue to expand VoteEasy and combine it with two other visualizations that allow citizens to track the representatives they have hired.
In 2013 the staff is updating all information on every elected official and potential candidate and coding the data according to issue area. They are also going back in time and coding by issue every piece of data that has been obtained over time. By February 2014 an extraordinary array of new, simple but powerful interactive tools will be available:
Over Vote Smart's history we have received many awards and commendations
Two of the most telling are:
Vote Smart may be the only truly uplifting movement in politics today.


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LaSER Media
LaSER News
Cadets take command of new building
London & South East Region Headquarters and Middlesex Wing Air Cadets, along with the Combined Cadet Force have moved into their new building by the main gate at RAF Northolt.
The newly refurbished 1960s building is quite a change from the previous which Air Cadets London & South East resided - built in 1916, it was the oldest building on the Station! Their new location overlooks the recently installed Station Gate Guard – a Hurricane - and allows for much more room for the permanent staff, ensuring that meetings, interviews, events and the day-to-day running of operations takes place in a much more inviting space.
The new building was put to the test this weekend when the London & South East Region Headquarters of the Air Cadets held their first Regional Council Meeting with nearly 20 staff able to meet very comfortably in the building to carry out their important business.
Regional Commandant for the London & South East Region of the Air Cadets, Group Captain Les Hakin RAFVR(T) said:
"I am pleased with our new accommodation, which is a great improvement. The additional space certainly makes meetings like today a lot more comfortable and I am confident this new accommodation will be an asset to us all."
Lets hope we'll this building is as sturdy as the last!

subset: commoncrawl


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SOUTH BOSTON, VA - AWFI announced it has completed construction of a $4 million finishing research and training lab in South Boston, VA. The National Center for Coatings Application, Research and Education (C-CARE) provides resources for automated finishing along with hand spray coatings application.
AWFI provides services to all sectors of the coatings industry, including wood products manufacturing, aerospace, automotive and heavy manufacturing. Services offered include new process engineering development, process validation, research and development, transfer efficiency studies, finish failure analysis, and robotic path programming.
The technology and automated equipment available at C-CARE includes a fully integrated flatline finishing system, a fully programmable hang line, which includes robotics, IR curing, three-dimensional UV curing and high temperature convection curing. Other technologies include automated sanding and surface preparation equipment and a large, enclosed automotive type spray booth with an auto-balance spray environment. According to AWFI, the facility is climate controlled for both temperature and humidity to simulate real world conditions in any location. All types of application technology from rotary atomizers to electrostatics are available for use in the lab, AWFI said.
Phil Stevenson, AWFI president/owner, said the lab facility can be used by equipment and coating manufacturers to validate their equipment and coating technologies. Manufacturers also may rent lab facilities or use AWFI's technical resources to help them reach their project initiatives. Information can be obtained at AWFI.org


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Quaint Seaside Village Studio Steps From Beach
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I love gymboree but they didn't seem to have much this time. Maybe its because my daughter is 7 now and those clothes seem to look best on the younger kids. It seems theres not many online shopping sites for girls in her age group or I just don't know where to look. I know its just clothes but she's my only girl and she's all in to fashion (lol, her words, not mine) I suppose I'm guilty of enjoying that side of her too. Any ideas?
Two of my Favorites are Lands End and Hanna Anderson.
justice for girls, the childrens place, 77 kids, p.s.kids
Children's place - I buy a lot of clothes for DD there !
I think they've all been said, but I had GREAT LUCK for my 5yo this year with awesome sales (and search for online codes) at the following:
- Land's End (good quality, but tends to run big)- Children's Place (not so good quality, but so cheap, who cares)- Old Navy - Kohl's- JCPenny
I have a newborn right now so I was hoping to do the kids fall clothes shopping online. Checked out all the websites and love them all. Thanks again.
Justice, jc penny, Burlington, and Khols...
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The page of the calendar turned to 2011, putting 2010 behind for good. In 2010, the Philadelphia Phillies failed to reach the World Series, but look forward to a fresh new start in 2011. Although the Phillies were unable to win it all, 2010 was an exciting year filled with lots of memorable moments. Before we look ahead to 2011, Phillies Nation will break down the top moments from the 2010 season.
There was a process in order for Phillies Nation to come up with the "Top 25 Moments of 2010" list. We narrowed it down to about 40 moments. Then, each member of Phillies Nation listed their top 25 moments in order. We used a "fair voting method," called the Borda Method, which is also used to tally votes for baseball's most valuable player. Basically, a first place vote equals 25 points, second place equals 24, third place equals 23, and so on. Don't worry about the math, we did it for you; it just helped determine the order of our list.
We'll start at 25 and count our way up to number one. We did the same thing in 2009 and Tim Malcolm's Phandom 25, which was featured on Phillies Nation in previous years, was also similar.
Number 25 will be released tomorrow, but below are the ones that did not make the cut.
Honorable Mentions:
April 12: Phillies home opener. The Phillies had a five-run fifth inning, which included a Chase Utley home run. The Phillies beat the Washington Nationals, 7-4.
Ryan Howard extension: Howard's five-year, $125 million contract did not make the cut.
July 8: Brian Schnieder came up clutch with a 12th inning walk-off home run against the Cincinnati Reds to give the Phillies a 4-3 victory.
Make sure you check back for the "Top 25 Moments of 2010," coming soon!
0 Comments
Looking forward to the TOP MOMENTS OF 2010. It is always entertaining, controversial and gets the juices flowing in anticipation for Spring Training. I did, however, feel that Schneider's extra-inning walk-off homer in July against the Reds would make the list. Oh well, the controversy begins. Good fun !!!
Moreover, I hear that Chad Durbin and the Phils are in negotiations. I hope Durbin returns. He is reliable and always willing to take the ball. For the money I don't think we are going to do much better plus he really likes playing in Philly. I understand that he wants a raise. If reasonable, we should comply, in my opinion, depending on , of course, how much he wants.
I was at the Home opener it was a blast seeing the good Doctor performing his surgery. But being the superstitious type, Phillies home opener 2007 lose made won the NL East first time in a long time, 2008 home opener lost won the WS, 2009 home opener lost made it to the WS 2010 home opener won did not make it to the WS just saying. I have been at the last two.
I still remember on vacation in San Diego walking around the zoo with my wife and her cousins getting a text from my sister saying Howard signs an extension, and texting back and forth for a half hour despite my wife's looks. Saying "I guess this means no Jayson Wreth after this year" I was right of course, but it was not because they signed the big piece, but because the Nats are idiots.
I was watching Pride of the Yankees this weekend… Great movie… Babe Ruth plays himself. I'm not sure how accurate it was but it gives you a small glimpse into the clubhouse and life of the players. I say that because the Brian Schneider home run is the one that most left me feeling like, 'man, what I would give to be in that clubhouse.' I think this group is so near and dear to my heart because they are so accepting and so 'old school' when it comes to the game. It's a job, yes but it is a game that each and every one of them grew up watching and emulating in the back yard. I see Pride of the Yankees and think that our guys are not so different than them.
Doc's perfect game and no hitter are probably 1 and 2 for me. The Schneider walk off was up there, although the game the next night was even better, coming back from 7-1, Ransom and Dobbs with the 9th inning homers to tie it, then Howard with the walk off in the 10th. Looking forward to having other memories retriggered.
1 and 2 are easy! But wasnt there that great comeback vs atlanta early in the season down like 5 runs in the 9th???? I remember the reds we were down a ton, but we did it again vs Atlanta an I didnt see that great game here either!! Or am I dreaming?


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CRN Security News
Cisco unveiled at Cisco Live in Las Vegas what it promises to be a disruptive technology in the security space.
Symantec Appoints Michael Fey As President, COO After Blue Coat AcquisitionSymantec is lining up its executive roster as it nears the closing of its blockbuster Blue Coat Systems acquisition, naming Michael Fey incoming president and COO of the combined companies.
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The 5 Biggest Security Acquisitions Of 2016 (So Far)The security industry is seeing a major shakeup, with blockbuster consolidation deals and private equity jumping into the fray. Here are five of the biggest acquisition deals of the year so far, with more rumored to be on the horizon.
Partners Hope Avast-AVG Deal Will Spur Investments In Both Companies' TechnologyPartners on both sides of the table have cited problems with the companies' software, something they hope will be addressed as the two companies merge.
The 10 Biggest Tech Mistakes Hillary Clinton Made With Her Private Email ServerFrom sending work emails while based in unfriendly countries to not notifying authorities of a hacking problem on her private server, here are the 10 most notable IT errors.
Avast Strikes Deal To Acquire AVG For $1.3BThe combination of the two companies creates a powerhouse in the market for Internet, desktop and mobile device security.
Analyst: Cybersecurity Spending To Hit $1 Trillion Over Next 5 Years, Presents Opportunity 'Ripe For VARs'Worldwide spending on security products will hit $1 trillion between 2017 and 2021, according to a recent report by Cybersecurity Ventures.
Solution Providers: FBI Probe Reveals Issues With Hillary Clinton's Email Security, Archiving PracticesThe FBI is recommending no charges against Clinton for her use of private email servers, but solution providers say the former Secretary of State erred by sending work emails while abroad and not establishing an email archive.
Report: Here's Who FireEye Could Be Eyeing For An AcquisitionA Cowen Group report speculates FireEye could be on the acquisition trail again. Here's who analysts say the security vendor could buy.
The 10 Coolest Security Startups Of 2016 (So Far)The cybersecurity market remains white-hot and these 10 startups are leading the charge to solve challenges around orchestration, threat detection, IoT and network security.
5 Fast Facts About The Latest High-Severity Symantec VulnerabilitiesThis week, Symantec revealed around two dozen vulnerabilities in its antivirus software. Here's what partners need to know to make sure their clients are protected.
On The Acquisition Trail: 5 Companies That Could Buy Intel SecurityReports emerged this week that Intel Security was exploring its options for a sale. Take a look at five companies with deep pockets and a focus on security that could be contenders.
10 Cybersecurity Companies That Hauled In Major Funding In Q2Ten cybersecurity companies focused on cloud, network security and other hot areas raised a combined $367 million in the second quarter.
Cylance, Sophos Trade Heated Words, With A Reseller Partner Caught In The MiddleThe dispute between Cylance and Sophos over an endpoint testing video is escalating, with Cylance alleging 'dirty tactics' and Sophos saying it 'stands by the validity of the information we publish.'
Report: Intel Eyeing Options For Potential Sale Of Intel SecurityThe report comes as Intel and Intel Security undergo strategic shifts, with the former honing in on the data center and IoT and the latter focusing on the full threat-defense life cycle.
Here's Who Made Gartner's 2016 Magic Quadrant For Enterprise Mobility Management SuitesMarket research firm Gartner's latest Magic Quadrant highlights vendors it classified as Leaders, Challengers, Niche Players and Visionaries in the enterprise mobility management space.
Sophos Slams Cylance In Blog Post As Market For Endpoint Security Heats UpSophos is the latest vendor to throw punches at next-generation endpoint security startup Cylance; Cylance, in turn, posted claims of its own.
Dell Exec: We're Not Out Of The Security Game, Despite Sale Of Software GroupAfter the sale, what becomes of the rest of Dell's security portfolio, and its addition of RSA as part of its pending acquisition of EMC?
LightCyber Lands $20M Series B Funding, Looks To Pump Up Marketing, Channel PartnersThe security startup seeks 'very explosive growth,' using the latest funds to fuel the fire for its goal of 400 percent year-over-year sales growth.


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Islamic militants tell Syrian Christians to pay a tax or face deathcomment (0)
March 13, 2014
The U.S. State Department has issued a statement deploring what it calls "continued threats against Christians and other minorities in Syria" from militant Islamists at war with both Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and fellow Islamic militants.
According to a March 3 statement from State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki, the Islamic State of Iraq in the Levant (ISIL) announced late February it will force Christians in the city of Raqqa to "convert to Islam, remain Christian and pay a tax, or face death."
"These outrageous conditions violate universal human rights," Psaki said. "ISIL has demonstrated time and again its disregard for Syrian lives, and it continues to commit atrocities against the Syrian people. Although ISIL claims it is fighting the regime, its oppression of and senseless violence against Syrians, including the moderate Syrian opposition, demonstrates that it is fighting for nothing except the imposition of its own brand of tyranny."
The State Department's condemnation of ISIL comes as the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported the group — a branch of al-Qaida also known as ISIS — had given Christians in Raqqa an ultimatum to accept a "dhimma," a protection agreement much like those between mafia families and businesses. If the agreement was not signed, the villagers would have to convert to Islam or "face the sword."
Haaretz reported Christians in the city had signed the agreement, which commits them to a biannual tax of about $500 per person. Those deemed middle class Christians by Islamic clerics are only required to pay half the tax, while those who are poor will be required to pay one quarter of that amount.
The average annual income in Syria is only $4,800, and much less since the civil war began. That means many Christians will be unable to pay the tax and will be forced into conversion or worse.
In addition to being required to practice Christianity behind closed doors, Christians in Raqqa must now follow 11 other conditions in order to keep the agreement with their Muslim overlords. Among those conditions are prohibitions on building new sanctuaries or restoring those damaged in the civil war, aiding any faction or government opposed to ISIL and discouraging conversions to Islam from within the Christian community, according to the Israeli newspaper.
The dhimma is a type of agreement that has existed in Islam since the mid-7th century. The opportunity to pay the tax or "jizya" for protection was offered to Christians and Jews during the Islamic conquests because Muhammad regarded Christians and Jews as "people of the Book," partly because Islam claimed Abraham, Moses and Jesus as prophets and partly because the religion's founder believed Christians and Jews living among Muslims would seek conversion in order to stop paying the tax.
Under such an agreement, "dhimmis" were and still are considered defeated and humbled foes of Islam.
In the Koran (Surah 9:29), followers of Islam are instructed to "fight those who do not believe in Allah and the Last Day and who do not consider unlawful what Allah and his messenger have declared unlawful — those who do not practice the religion of truth though they were given the Book — until they pay the tribute willingly and have been humbled."
Muslims, according to Islamic teaching, are required to protect the lives and property of dhimmis, but they can be killed without trial if they violate the agreement.
Psaki said in her statement the dhimma between the ISIL and Christians in Raqqa is a departure from the "long history of tolerance and co-existence" between Muslims and Christians in Syria.
"Both the regime and ISIL are fueling sectarian strife to justify their brutality. We strongly condemn these abuses and urge all parties to protect and respect the rights of all Syrians," Psaki said.
Raqqa, however, is not the first Christian settlement to be subjected to mistreatment by Islamic militants when caught between rebels and the Assad regime. In fact, it is not the first time ISIL has forced Christians to make a decision between faith, property or life.
In March 2013, nearly two years into the Syrian uprising prompted by the so-called "Arab Spring," the town of Yacoubiyeh, with nearly 2,500 Christians, was subjected to the same treatment.
In September 2013, militant Islamist rebels attacked the ancient town of Maaloula, the last town on earth where ancient Aramaic is the primary language.
Churches were reportedly destroyed and Christian relics smashed in the fighting. Rebels also executed more than 20 people in the town square, many of them reportedly Christians loyal to the Assad regime.


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