Merry Magdalene

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Posts by Merry Magdalene

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  21

  Iranian Women "Honored" on Thursday !

  by Rabbit in

  1. social
  2. current

  http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070704/wl_nm/iran_khamenei_women_dc_1;_ylt=akt2uvvuc93za2taib9xdnn0wnwv.

  don't "play" with islamic law, iranian women told 43 minutes ago .

  activists should not try to change islamic laws relating to women's rights, iran's supreme leader said on wednesday, two days after one campaigner was reportedly sentenced to 34 months in jail and ten lashes.. ayatollah ali khamenei, also lambasted the west for using women as a tool to advertise products, make money and to satisfy "disorderly and unlawful sexual needs," state television said.. he was addressing a group of women, most dressed conservatively in head-to-toe black chadors, in tehran ahead of thursday's anniversary of the birth of prophet mohammad's daughter, fatima, when iran honors mothers and women.. campaigners say iranian women face difficulties in getting a divorce and criticize inheritance laws they say are unjust and the fact their court testimony is worth half that of a man's.. the islamic republic rejects allegations it is discriminating against women, saying it follows sharia law.. "we are witnessing in our country that some women activists and some men are trying to play with islamic laws ... in order to harmonize them with international conventions related to women," khamenei said.

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  Merry Magdalene

  If the Iranians are so damn upset with Western nations trying to impose their will in the Middle East, then why are they trying to dictate their form of morality to "the West"?

  How are they trying to do that? Criticizing is not dictating.

  ~Merry

  No, criticizing is not dictating, but kidnappings, beheadings, assination in the streets (Pym Fourtune, Theo VanGoh), bombings, pushing the envelope on airliners (Minneapolis 6), demanding special accomodations (public funded footbaths), special consideration in schools for prayer is.

  Iran/Iranians did all that? Perhaps you are thinking of Muslims in general here and not the Iranian government or Iranians specifically, which is what my question and statement were referencing.

  ~Merry
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  9

  Shunned from society, widows flock to city to die

  by Grammy in

  1. social
  2. current

  and i thought the jw's treated their elderly badly.. this is the most horrendous thing i have ever heard off, it's truly disgusting!.

  http://www.cnn.com/2007/world/asiapcf/07/05/damon.india.widows/index.html?eref=rss_topstories.

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  Merry Magdalene

  Maybe I found the answer to my question in another interesting article on the matter:

  "The taboo on widow remarriage stems from man's desire to monopolize all
  the good things in life," Malik said.

  Arya...pointed out that behind the facade of family honor, the
  motives of allowing a live-in relationship within the family are largely
  economic.
  "If a widow with children remarries or simply moves away, she is likely
  to take with her a large chunk of the family property," explained Arya. "By
  keeping the widow within the family, the elders ensure there is no division
  of property."

  It is also interesting that India's paramilitary Border Security Foce is trying to change things.

  The security force, which since 1990 has lost nearly 600 men on the job,
  is making small yet significant progress among its soldiers and their
  families in changing attitude towards remarriage.
  The 180,000-strong paramilitary force responsible for securing India's
  land borders has since last year found second husbands -- mostly within its
  own ranks -- for 13 security force widows.

  The tightly knit security force feels a life-long responsibility to its
  troops and their dependents that extends well beyond the monthly $50 to $60
  pension for widows, said Chandara Kala Arya, president of the force's Wives
  Welfare Association, a private charitable group made up of the spouses of
  security force officers.
  "We have pushed for remarriage to help the women find a place in
  society," Arya said. "A single woman without her own family is open to
  exploitation and harassment."
  While pensions and re-employment programs do make the widows financially
  self-sufficient, marriage gives women the most control over her life, she
  said.
  "Often, when widows live with relatives, they do not have control over
  their own money," Arya said. "The pension is at the disposal of the oldest
  male member who can do as he pleases.
  "If a widow remarries, she has more control over the money because she
  lives in her own house with her husband. She is no longer a dependent
  relative," Arya said.
  By contacting widows every few months by letter, the wives' organization
  finds women who want to remarry. Through its vast network, the security
  force's welfare department identifies men interested in marriage and tries
  to make a suitable match based on common caste, language and religion,
  Malik said.

  The welfare department's work is slowly but perceptibly effecting
  change. At its first mass wedding in November, only three widows remarried.
  Five months later, 10 couples were married.
  These unions are still exceptions to the rule, however. Another 40
  widows have rebuffed the force's suggestions of remarriage, Malik said.
  In some cases, it is the woman's family that prevents remarriage,
  thinking that such a radical step would reflect poorly on the entire
  extended family. --http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/plc/prereading/widremar.htm

  ~Merry
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  9

  Shunned from society, widows flock to city to die

  by Grammy in

  1. social
  2. current

  and i thought the jw's treated their elderly badly.. this is the most horrendous thing i have ever heard off, it's truly disgusting!.

  http://www.cnn.com/2007/world/asiapcf/07/05/damon.india.widows/index.html?eref=rss_topstories.

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  Merry Magdalene

  How does something like that become a tradition? If you ever once loved your mother and were grateful to her for her care, how could you turn your back on her and shun her when she was widowed... hmmm... shunning... left to die...

  And, if that isn't bad wnough, another article on the widows of India says:

  Y oung widows are still being brought in by sex traffickers and sold into prostitution. The sevadasi system, in which the 'service' done to rich and powerful pilgrims is seen as an act of piety, is still prevalent. Sexual exploitation still exists at the bhajanashrams.

  A n earlier study, commissioned in 1992 by the National Commission for Women and conducted by Deepali Bhanot, corroborates that "the flesh trade flourishes in Vrindavan and Mathura in the full knowledge of the police, administration, holy men and politicians." --http://www.sikhspectrum.com/012003/widows_h.htm

  ~Merry
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  6

  $$$

  by ush419 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  seems like recent needs talks at least at our hall have been about $$$, donations to the www are short.

  excuse me i thought that donations are just that donations.

  guess i was wrong huh??

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  Merry Magdalene

  Welcome ush. Yes I guess you were wrong...and now you know. But tell the cong not to worry about it too much, the WTS is getting plenty $$$ from the HM Riley Trust. LOL

  ~Merry
• 
  21

  Iranian Women "Honored" on Thursday !

  by Rabbit in

  1. social
  2. current

  http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070704/wl_nm/iran_khamenei_women_dc_1;_ylt=akt2uvvuc93za2taib9xdnn0wnwv.

  don't "play" with islamic law, iranian women told 43 minutes ago .

  activists should not try to change islamic laws relating to women's rights, iran's supreme leader said on wednesday, two days after one campaigner was reportedly sentenced to 34 months in jail and ten lashes.. ayatollah ali khamenei, also lambasted the west for using women as a tool to advertise products, make money and to satisfy "disorderly and unlawful sexual needs," state television said.. he was addressing a group of women, most dressed conservatively in head-to-toe black chadors, in tehran ahead of thursday's anniversary of the birth of prophet mohammad's daughter, fatima, when iran honors mothers and women.. campaigners say iranian women face difficulties in getting a divorce and criticize inheritance laws they say are unjust and the fact their court testimony is worth half that of a man's.. the islamic republic rejects allegations it is discriminating against women, saying it follows sharia law.. "we are witnessing in our country that some women activists and some men are trying to play with islamic laws ... in order to harmonize them with international conventions related to women," khamenei said.

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  Merry Magdalene

  If the Iranians are so damn upset with Western nations trying to impose their will in the Middle East, then why are they trying to dictate their form of morality to "the West"?

  How are they trying to do that? Criticizing is not dictating.

  ~Merry
• 
  21

  Iranian Women "Honored" on Thursday !

  by Rabbit in

  1. social
  2. current

  http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070704/wl_nm/iran_khamenei_women_dc_1;_ylt=akt2uvvuc93za2taib9xdnn0wnwv.

  don't "play" with islamic law, iranian women told 43 minutes ago .

  activists should not try to change islamic laws relating to women's rights, iran's supreme leader said on wednesday, two days after one campaigner was reportedly sentenced to 34 months in jail and ten lashes.. ayatollah ali khamenei, also lambasted the west for using women as a tool to advertise products, make money and to satisfy "disorderly and unlawful sexual needs," state television said.. he was addressing a group of women, most dressed conservatively in head-to-toe black chadors, in tehran ahead of thursday's anniversary of the birth of prophet mohammad's daughter, fatima, when iran honors mothers and women.. campaigners say iranian women face difficulties in getting a divorce and criticize inheritance laws they say are unjust and the fact their court testimony is worth half that of a man's.. the islamic republic rejects allegations it is discriminating against women, saying it follows sharia law.. "we are witnessing in our country that some women activists and some men are trying to play with islamic laws ... in order to harmonize them with international conventions related to women," khamenei said.

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  Merry Magdalene

  Interestingly, in Islam God is called everything very positive (great, awesome, mighty, wise, etc.) but not loving. There is no Koranic verse anywhere, to my knowledge, that states that God even loves people at all. In return, Muslims are required only to respect and obey Allah; there is no command to love him. Compulsive obedience, not a relationship, is the goal

  Sorry of I am following this off-topic, but I have to say that one of the 99 names/qualities of God in Islam is Al-Wadood which means "The Most Loving". And Quran, Chapter 3, Verses 31 and 32: “Say: if you love God, then follow me, God will love you and forgive you your faults, and God is forgiving, merciful.”

  http://content-articles.com/article.aspx?i=64069&t=The-Quran-on-God%E2%80%99s-Love

  http://quranicteachings.co.uk/whom-Allah-loves.htm

  I don't know much about Iran and Shariah law there, but I am reading Targeting Iran, David Barsamian interviewing Noam Chomsky, Ervand Abrahamian and Nahid Mozaffari.

  ~Merry
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  23

  Who is Henrietta M. Riley

  by cultswatter in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i googled that name and found a trust fund that is named after her.

  i also found the tax returns for 2005,2004,2003 for that fund.

  the riley trust funds largest revenue is oil and gas royalties and in 2005 over 3 million dollars of oil and gas royalties flowed into the riley trust fund.

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  Merry Magdalene

  There is also a Leo M. Riley Company that contracts with Michigan Consolidated Gas Company.

  It really is a whole lotta money just from this one Trust.

  ~Merry
• 
  23

  Who is Henrietta M. Riley

  by cultswatter in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i googled that name and found a trust fund that is named after her.

  i also found the tax returns for 2005,2004,2003 for that fund.

  the riley trust funds largest revenue is oil and gas royalties and in 2005 over 3 million dollars of oil and gas royalties flowed into the riley trust fund.

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  Merry Magdalene

  The Riley trust funds largest revenue is oil and gas royalties and in 2005 over 3 million dollars of oil and gas royalties flowed into the Riley trust fund. The Riley trust fund is a charitable organization as it supports a church namely the WATCHTOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY.

  I don't understand financial stuff at all, but I thought it an interesting coincidence that there is an attorney by the name of Patrick J. Riley who has an Oil & Gas practice in Jackson, MI. Because of the address for the Riley Trust being in Michigan and their surnames being the same and the oil & gas thing, I just wondered if there might be any connection of any significance. Probably not, but I seem to have a penchant for chasing wild geese...

  ~Merry
• 
  29

  Just want to show you what we saw...

  by Merry Magdalene in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the end of may my daughter and i were walking an overgrown path to the river, going to take pictures of each other in the wild roses, when we saw this--right at the edge of the path:.

  "mommy, look," she said.

  "oh no," i thought.

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  Merry Magdalene

  I enjoyed all your remarks just now!

  It was hard to resist (!!!), but we didn't touch it and didnt want to interfere with its mom coming back, but did keep checking until we felt sure everything was ok. My daughter was rather hoping she could keep it if its mother didnt come back, but was still happy in the end.

  We did hear a larger deer crashing through the trees, brush, and driftwood a little ways away and that gave me hope it was the mother nearby.

  Even though I've seen a lot of adult deer and a few older fawns, I was thrilled speechless at this special moment with my daughter! Treasured forever and so glad we had the digital camera with us!

  Here is the only other pic have of it (my daughter in the foreground)--

  

  ~Merry
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  11

  Revealing article by Ex Terrorist

  by metatron in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=465570&in_page_id=1770.

  in summary, he claims that terrorism has nothing to do with iraq or foreign policy or whatever.

  about religious fanaticism, pure and simple.

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  Merry Magdalene

  To a tyrant, any excuse is good enough.

  - Aesop

  Reading that comment reminded me of something I just read earlier today--

  A person once asked the Prophet Muhammad: What is the highest form of striving in Allah's cause [jihad]? He replied: Speaking the truth to a tyrant.

  ~Merry