#Hashem God Allah is watching

[martynrandles]

EXECUTIVE ORDERS: Trump says "total obliteration" if Iran attempts assas...

[monstrunderyourbed]

Remembering

Today marks 19 years since a heinous act of hate performed in the name of a religion that preaches peace. It forever changed this country. In the wake of those horrible events, some people in the country rose to the occasion and showed the best American can be. Others showed the worst we could be. Unfortunately, the worst seems to come out in some people again and again and they use the memory of that trauma as an excuse. So, on this day of remembrance, I like to remember not just the tragedy and those that it spawned. Not just the act of terrorism and those of use who allowed the terrorists to win by sewing hate and distrust amongst ourselves. I like to remember the story of how a single act of grief and compassion 19 years ago, grew into something lasting and beautiful.

After the events of 9/11, the Reverend of my church (I wasn’t a member back then, but for simplicity sake I’ll call it my church) reached out to the local Mosque and asked if they’d be willing to join her congregation for a memorial service. They were very pleased to do it. The two communities came together to sing, weep, and pray. Together, they started to heal. Since that day, our church and the Mosque have maintained close ties. We have women’s and a men’s book clubs that meet together, women’s and girl’s basketball teams that play against each other, and once a year each hosts the other for a joint service in honor of love, hospitality, community, and acceptance.

After the 2016 elections, a Jewish temple in our community was badly vandalized. Their windows smashed, signs broken, and words and symbols of hate painted all over. Our church volunteered to help clean up and asked their friends at the Mosque if they’d be willing to help too. Of course, they said yes. Members from a Christian church in the area came too. A group of Unitarian Universalists (including Christians, Jews, Pagans, Humanists, Agnostics, Atheists, and whatnot; I know we’re a weird religion; just call us interfaith and go with it) joined together with Muslims, Christians, and Jews to clean up the aftermath of hate, to comfort and reassure each other. The Rabbi and the Minister of the Christian church found out about our church and the Mosque’s interfaith activities and decided they wanted a piece of that action. The Rabbi said the women of their community had an annual women’s retreat and perhaps the women from the Mosque and our church would like to join forces for that? The Minister said an interfaith girls basketball league was a great idea. Could they play too? The Christian church was mostly immigrants and first gen people. So much so, that their services are entirely in Spanish. They said hey, if you help teach some of our folks English, we’ll teach some of your folks Spanish. A year or so later, the four religious communities decided that they could do a charity effort together and began a “warm nights” program. During the winter, they take turns hosting local homeless folks who need shelter and a hot meal.

Two years ago, during service while Rev. Liz was hiving her sermon, someone walked in with a cellphone is his hand. To everyone’s surprise he walked straight up to Rev. Liz and interrupted her service to hand her the phone. She listened quietly for a moment, her face grave, and then said, “Tell me what you need.” Then after another moment, she nodded and said, “You got it. Hold tight.” Handing the phone back she stepped back up to the podium. Looking at her congregation she said, “ICE has camped out in front of the [Insert name of Christian Church]. They aren’t going into the church, but they’re waiting for service to end so they can arrest people as they come out. I’m going to end service now and ask any of you who are willing, to go over there with me. Bring your cell phones. Let’s make sure ICE knows that God, and the world, is watching them.” Just about the entire congregation went. Every hippie, Wiccan, Pagan, Ex-Catholic, and crunchie-granola mom said “not on my watch.” On the way they called their friends at the Temple and Mosque. They said that Allah and HaShem would be watching too. They would not stand by while their friends were frightened and trapped in their own house of worship. The UUs, the Muslims, and Jews descended on those ICE agents with cell phone cameras, congregants who were lawyers and social workers, decorated veterans, stern grandmothers, hijabis, wide-eyed children, trans, gay, straight, non-binary,  and every color or type of human you can imagine.  

These were our friends. They were part of our community. They belonged here.

Inside the church, people were in tears. Terrified. Outside their was a wall of people around the ICE agents. Not trapping them, but blocking their view of the doors and standing in between them and the path that most of the people would need to walk to get to their cars.

I am please to say that no one in that church was even questioned by ICE that day. They seemed to decide that it wasn’t worth the scene they’d make. After all, even their most conservative supporters might take issue with interfering with a church service.

This is what America should be. This is what it looks like to live up to the ideals we claim are ours. This is the America I want us to build. On the bedrock of grief and pain and hatred that terrorists put down in this country, I want to build a better America with healing and peace and love. 

TLDR; After 9/11 a UU church, a Mosque, a Jewish Temple, and a Christian Church of primarily immigrants banded together to support eachother and their community. This is the opposite of what the terrorists wanted to have happen. So today, please don’t let the terrorists win again. Don’t let them make you spiteful and angry. Instead, remember that a tiny gesture of peace can help to build a bond that will change your community. It has in the past. It can again. 

[martynrandles]

Full Netanyahu, Trump press conference: POTUS says US plans Gaza takeove...

Feb 5, 2025                                          

President Donald Trump held a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025. Trump said that the United States could take over the Gaza Strip as part of its rebuilding following the war between Israel and Hamas. "The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too," Trump said. "We'll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site." "I'm hopeful that this ceasefire could be the beginning of a larger and more enduring peace that will end the bloodshed and killing once and for all," Trump said.

[martynrandles]

20-year-old Fatema Zainab Rajwani tried to stop Israel's genocide in Gaza by breaking into an Elbit Systems site in England. She was arrested, denied bail and could face 15 months in prison before her trial even starts. Declassified spoke to her mother Sukaina Rajwani about the chilling crack down on Palestine Action's Filton 10.

[martynrandles]

5,000 Israeli War Criminals Hiding in Dubai [Leaked UAE Docs]