US-BOKO HARAM
House condemns schoolgirl abductions in Nigeria
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. House has voted 411-2 to condemn the abduction of hundreds of school girls by Islamic militants in Nigeria.
But two congressmen who recently visited the African country say more U.S. military assistance will be needed to defeat Boko Haram and rescue the young captives.
New Jersey Republican Chris Smith says Americans are currently training a battalion of Nigerian troops, but he says more training in counterinsurgency will be needed, along with real-time intelligence capabilities.
Texas Republican Louie Gohmert says it was “heartbreaking” to hear Nigerians describe the atrocities being committed against Christians. But Smith says Boko Haram also attacks Muslims who it accuses of not being “Muslim enough.”
Smith says a school girl he met who escaped from Boko Haram was visibly traumatized, but pleaded for the rescue of her classmates.
Sound:
262-a-04-(U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., in House floor speech)-“be far more”-New Jersey Congressman Chris Smith says the Nigerian military needs real-time intelligence and counter-insurgency training. (12 Jun 2014)
< 261-a-10-(U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., in House floor speech)-“not Muslim enough”-New Jersey Congressman Chris Smith says Boko Haram is inflicting its harsh version of Islam on all Nigerians. (12 Jun 2014) < 260-a-20-(U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, in House floor speech)-“they kill you”-Texas Congressman Louie Gohmert says Nigerian Christians are the main targtet of Boko Haram. ((note length of cut)) (12 Jun 2014) < 263-a-10-(U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., in House floor speech)-“for their rescue”-New Jersey Congressman Chris Smith says he spoke with a Nigerian school girl who was visibly traumatized after escaping from Boko Haram. (12 Jun 2014) < IRAQ-MELTING MILITARY Fear, sectarianism behind Iraq army collapse CAIRO (AP) — The video, set to Muslim religious hymns, is chilling. Islamic militants are shown knocking on the door of a Sunni police major in the dead of night in an Iraqi city. When he answers, they blindfold and cuff him. Then they carve off his head with a knife in his own bedroom. The 61-minute video was recently posted online by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, an al-Qaida splinter group of Sunni extremists. The intent was clearly to terrorize Sunnis in Iraq’s army and police forces and deepen their already low morale. That fear is one factor behind the stunning collapse of Iraqi security forces when fighters led by the Islamic State overran the cities of Mosul and Tikrit this week, sweeping over a swath of Sunni-majority territory. In most cases, police and military simply ran, sometimes shedding uniforms, and abandoned arsenals of heavy weapons. Even after the United States spent billions of dollars training the armed forces during its 2003-2011 military presence in Iraq, the one-million-member army and police remain riven by sectarian discontents, corruption and a lack of professionalism. PRIESTS ATTACKED Police: Priests attacked at Phoenix church, 1 dies PHOENIX (AP) — Police have searched a downtown Phoenix neighborhood and interviewed an injured priest for clues in a shooting that left another priest dead inside a Catholic church rectory Wednesday night. Authorities had no suspects or solid leads as of Thursday afternoon. Police Chief Daniel Garcia said officers canvassed the area around Mother of Mercy Mission and followed up on physical evidence. He called the attack a “tragic and appalling criminal violation.” Police say Father Kenneth Walker was fatally shot and Father Joseph Terra was physically assaulted. According to police, Father Terra was able to call 911. Terra and Walker served as pastor and assistant pastor, respectively, and they both lived in the church, which is located along a gritty stretch of downtown Phoenix. The Rev. Fred Adamson, vicar general of the Phoenix diocese, says the 56-year-old Terra, who was hospitalized in critical condition, was able to administer last rites to Father Walker, who was 29. About a dozen parishioners gathered outside the church Thursday, kneeling on the sidewalk and reciting the rosary in response to the loss of their beloved priest. Sound: 288-w-29-(Steve Coleman, AP religion editor, with Mother of Mercy Mission parishioner Bill Haley, and Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton)–Police are still searching for whoever fatally shot one priest and critically injured another in a Phoenix church rectory Wednesday night. AP Religion Editor Steve Coleman reports. (12 Jun 2014) < 231-a-05-(Bill Haley, a parishioner at Mother of Mercy Mission, in AP interview)-“whatever they wanted”-Bill Haley, a parishioner at Mother of Mercy Mission, says there was no need to attack the priests. (12 Jun 2014) < 232-a-10-(Bill Haley, a parishioner at Mother of Mercy Mission, in AP interview)-“put them up”-Bill Haley, a parishioner at Mother of Mercy Mission, says the priests would have given the attackers anything they wanted. (12 Jun 2014) < 233-a-07-(Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton, at news conference)-“lives of others”-Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton says Father Kenneth Walker was killed in the attack. (12 Jun 2014) < 152-c-09-(Alina Hartounian (uh-LEE’-nuh hahr-TOON’-ee-uhn), AP correspondent)-“was fatally attacked”-AP correspondent Alina Hartounian reports the Diocese of Pheonix released a statement saying it is shocked and deeply saddened by the attack. (12 Jun 2014) < 151-c-09-(Alina Hartounian (uh-LEE’-nuh hahr-TOON’-ee-uhn), AP correspondent)-“from the church”-AP correspondent Alina Hartounian reports there have been no arrests in the case yet. ((watch for dating)) (12 Jun 2014) < 150-c-14-(Alina Hartounian (uh-LEE’-nuh hahr-TOON’-ee-uhn), AP correspondent)-“in critical condition”-AP correspondent Alina Hartounian reports police were responding to a burglary call at a Downtown Pheonix church last night when they found the priests badly injured. ((watch for dating)) (12 Jun 2014) < PHONY ABUSE CLAIM Man gets nearly 3 years for phony abuse claims PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A bank robber who made phony claims of child sex abuse by priests in four states in an unsuccessful effort to get money has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison for mail fraud. The U.S. attorney’s office says 50-year-old Shamont Sapp was given a 33-month sentence Wednesday in Portland, Oregon, by U.S. District Judge Anna Brown. The former Pennsylvania resident pleaded guilty to pursuing phony cases against Roman Catholic dioceses in Portland; Tucson, Arizona; Covington, Kentucky; and Spokane, Washington, from 2005 through 2010. Federal prosecutors say he filed the fraudulent claims while he was a federal prison inmate serving lengthy sentences for 10 Pennsylvania bank robberies he committed in 1995. In each, he claimed he had been sexually abused as a teenage runaway in 1978-79. Disproving the claims required extensive investigative and legal work. The U.S. attorney’s office says the Archdiocese of Portland spent $70,000 disproving Sapp’s allegations. MISSISSIPPI RELIGIOUS LAW-PROTEST Protests aim at Mississippi’s New York picnic JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Opponents of a Mississippi religious rights law could be like ants at the state’s annual New York picnic. Those protesting the Mississippi Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which takes effect July 1, say it could allow discrimination against gays and lesbians. Oxford chef John Currence and others will host a Big Gay Mississippi Welcome Table dinner Friday in New York. Another group plans a moment of silence before the Saturday picnic in Central Park. State leaders use the week before the picnic to promote Mississippi in New York. Currence, despite opposition to the law, cooked Thursday for a luncheon hosted by Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant. The measure says government can’t substantially burden religious practices without compelling reasons. Critics fear it could allow business owners who oppose homosexuality to refuse services to gays and lesbians. MINOT FLOOD RECOVERY Faith-based group continuing Minot flood recovery MINOT, N.D. (AP) — A faith-based group is spearheading efforts this summer to restore about 40 homes damaged by the 2011 flood in Minot, North Dakota. The Minot Daily News reports that the project involves funding, equipment or logistical help from the United Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Episcopal and Catholic churches. The Hope Village volunteer center that shut down last fall is donating money it had left over. A major contributor is NOMADS, which stands for Nomads on a Mission Active in Divine Service. The organization of retirees under the umbrella of the United Methodist Committee on Relief will bring workers to Minot throughout the summer. Project coordinator Bob Lower says five mobile homes will accommodate teams of up to 10 people. Minot Air Force Base also has been signing up weekend volunteer teams. US-MYANMAR-INTERFAITH MARRIAGE US: ‘Serious concerns’ over Myanmar marriage bill WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. State Department says it has serious concerns about proposals to criminalize interfaith marriage in Myanmar. Separately, a U.S. government commission on religious freedom condemned a proposed law restricting religious conversions, saying it has “no place in the 21st century.” Nationalist Buddhist monks in Myanmar are pushing legislation to “protect and preserve race and religion.” President Thein Sein has directed parliament to draft it. That’s raising questions about the direction of Myanmar’s democratic reforms as it shifts from decades of military rule. The State Department says criminalizing interfaith marriages would be inconsistent with tolerance and human rights and has expressed concern to the highest levels of Myanmar’s government. Earlier this week, U.S. Ambassador Derek Mitchell said he spoke to women activists who reported receiving death threats for opposing the marriage bill. ISRAEL-GAY PRIDE Israeli transsexual singer in controversial video JERUSALEM (AP) — A video promoting Tel Aviv’s Gay Pride Parade has been taken offline after the family of a youngster claimed they did not provide consent to participate. The video features Israeli transsexual star Dana International dancing in a synagogue in the presence of religious children. The controversy developed on the eve of the annual parade Friday. The director said the theme of the video was clear from the outset. But the family of one of the children says it was told the boy, who was 11 or 12 years old, was appearing in a video about tourism. Dana — born Yaron Cohen — made international fame in 1998 after winning the Eurovision song contest. The victory stirred a backlash, but she has gone on to a successful career as an entertainer.
