FIRST MUSLIM ELECTED IN USA

1-WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS. 2-Rosa weakens to tropical depression. 3-Typhoon gathers strength off Philippines. 4-Flood damage assessed at Mount Rainier. 5-Queenslanders in for severe storms. 6-Olmert Announces Bill to Change Government System. 7-FTA with EU not linked to Doha debacle. 8-Police Move to a State of Emergency. 9-Ex-commissioner warns against Brussels federalism. 10-This Week with Rabbi Eckstein. 11-Muslim’s Election Is Celebrated Here and in Mideast. 12-President Zapatero Drops Slightly in Spain.

EARTHQUAKES

MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)

Update time = Fri Nov 10 8:45:30 AM EDT

NOV 10,2006
MAP 2.6 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.8 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 3.5 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 4.7 SAKHALIN, RUSSIA
MAP 3.3 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 3.4 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.5 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.8 OAXACA, MEXICO
MAP 4.6 SOUTH OF THE FIJI ISLANDS
MAP 3.7 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.9 PUERTO RICO

NOV 09,2006
MAP 2.9 BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP 2.6 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 3.4 UNIMAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
MAP 2.9 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 3.2 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 3.1 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.5 ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
MAP 5.1 NIAS REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 2.5 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.0 MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES
MAP 2.9 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 2.7 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.5 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.5 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
MAP 2.8 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 3.6 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 2.8 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.9 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 2.6 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.8 NORTHERN PERU
MAP 2.7 KENAI PENINSULA, ALASKA
MAP 4.0 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.0 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 4.8 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 3.1 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 2.7 ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
MAP 4.6 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 5.0 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 3.3 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC REGION

STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES

LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

Rosa weakens to tropical depression Fri Nov 10, 1:05 AM ET

MEXICO CITY - Rosa weakened to a tropical depression Thursday just hours after it formed as a tropical storm off Mexico's Pacific coast, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. Rosa had 35 mph winds and was not expected to threaten land, the center said.

It was roughly 215 miles southwest of Manzanillo and was moving north at 5 mph.

Typhoon gathers strength off Philippines Fri Nov 10, 5:28 AM ET

MANILA (AFP) - Residents in the northern Philippines are bracing themselves for another battering two weeks after super typhoon Cimaron tore through the region leaving a trail of destruction and at least 19 dead. As typhoon Chebi roared toward the Philippines on Friday flood and landslide alerts were raised along the eastern seaboard.Chebi packing sustained winds of 120 kilometers (74 miles) an hour was expected to hit the town of Baler northeast of Manila early Saturday, the weather office said.The eye of the cyclone was plotted 360 kilometers east of Baler at 4:30pm (0830 GMT).The weather office warned residents of coastal areas on the east coast of the main island of Luzon of big waves as well as flashfloods and landslides.Typhoon Cimaron, the strongest cyclone to hit the Philippines in more than 10 years, left 38 people dead or missing late last month.About 300,000 people from some 10 provinces in northern Luzon island were affected while damage to agricultural crops and infrastructure amounted to more than 443 million pesos (8.86 million dollars).

Flood damage assessed at Mount Rainier By SHANNON DININNY, Associated Press Writer Fri Nov 10, 3:36 AM ET

YAKIMA, Wash. - Nearly 18 inches of rain in 36 hours.That's how much fell this week at Mount Rainier National Park, one of the crown jewels of the Pacific Northwest. The deluge swamped roads and bridges, cut power and sewer lines, and forced park officials to close the gates to visitors for the first time in 26 years.Initial cleanup will take weeks. Park officials say they hope to return to normal operations by Christmas. In some places, they won't know the extent of the damage until after the snow melts in the spring.

Some places get that much rain in a year, and we had it in 36 hours, said park spokeswoman Lee Taylor, noting the 17.9 inches of rain that fell Sunday and Monday. When we were finally able to get out and start assessing the damage, it was a very sobering day.Mount Rainier wasn't the only place that suffered damage from the Pineapple Express storm, named for its origin in warm Pacific waters. Its heavy rains also washed out a major highway near Oregon's Mount Hood and closed the North Cascades Highway in northcentral Washington.At Mount Rainier, the Nisqually River engulfed the main scenic highway through the park, leaving a quarter-mile gash in the Nisqually Road. The river now flows where a campground once stood.

All other roads in the park closed Nov. 1 for the winter, though they also suffered extensive damage.

Highway 123 and the Stevens Canyon Road were impassible because of multiple washouts. The dirt Carbon Canyon Road was washed out in six places.The Nisqually River wiped out the main power line, cutting electricity for the western half of the park, as well as the main sewer line at Longmire, where a historic innsits.Officials last closed the park in 1980 when nearby Mount St. Helens erupted.An optimistic estimate for repairs is two weeks for some road access. Utility repair work could still take longer, which would mean there are still no services at Longmire,Taylor said. We're hoping we can have normal operations for the Christmas holiday.

Christmas is a popular season at Mount Rainier, with rangers offering guided snowshoe walks and cross-country skiers hitting the trails. Sledding takes place at the base of the mountain.Getting the Nisqually Road reopened is key to those activities, as well as to construction on the Paradise Inn, an aging lodge and restaurant built in 1917 that is undergoing refurbishment.The contractor handling the construction was working to seal the inn's roof to prevent water damage, Taylor said.Park Superintendent Dave Uberuaga flew over the area Thursday to assess the damage and was working to determine a cost estimate for repairs. In the meantime, crews were furiously working to fix the main road.Our focus is on the winter access route, so we can get that open again, Taylor said.But if we aren't able to do repair work now, then it will have to wait until the spring melt-out, and that could delay
some of the spring openings here.

Queenslanders in for severe storms

FORECASTERS yesterday warned Queenslanders to brace themselves for an onslaught of steamy summer weather from next week.The Bureau of Meteorology said the severe storms that swept across southeast Queensland on Wednesday night had moved off the coast, and scattered showers would ease over the next few days.

A northwesterly change over the weekend will bring fine weather and temperatures in the low to mid-30s.By Monday, everyone will definitely know that summer has arrived, Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Bryan Rolstone said.The dry change spells bad news for the state’s water crisis, but relief for the hundreds of residents between the Sunshine and Gold coasts who are still mopping up after Wed-nesday night’s storms.

More than 100 SES members worked through the night, repairing roofs damaged by strong winds.Seven properties in Esk, including the local police station, were damaged, while one home in Caboolture, north of Brisbane, lost its roof.A Gold Coast Catholic school, Aquinas College, is set to remain closed today after the storm tore the roof from its music room and damaged many other classrooms.Spokesman for NRMA Frank Alder said insurance claims already were starting to pour in.The Bureau of Meteorology says that patchy showers will push north into central Queensland today.

Olmert Announces Bill to Change Government System
08:33 Nov 10, '06 / 19 Cheshvan 5767
by Hana Levi Julian(INN)

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced Thursday night at a meeting of hand-picked Kadima party members that a proposal for making changes in the current system of government has been drawn up.

The Kadima, Yisrael Beiteinu and Pensioners’ Parties jointly drafted the agreement.Olmert said a bill detailing the changes will be presented to the Knesset for a vote in a matter of weeks.The plan would empower the prime minister to dissolve the Knesset without the approval of cabinet ministers. A vote by a minimum of 66 Knesset members would be required in order to pass a no-confidence motion, 73 votes to dissolve the parliament.

Cabinet ministers would be required to resign their positions as Knesset members in order to take on their portfolios. They would be able to return to the Knesset only after resigning from their ministerial posts.The cabinet would be limited to 18 ministers, of which one fourth would be required to be experts in their designated fields who did not run for Knesset.The two other coalition member parties who apparently were left out of the discussions were surprised at the news and swiftly responded with announcements of their own.Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Eli Yishai immediately announced that his Sephardic religious party, Shas, would strongly oppose any bill that was not first approved by the majority of Knesset factions. There is a forum of faction whips on changing the system of government, he said. Any other forum does not have the right to advance initiatives on the matter.” Shas is the third largest party in the government coalition.

Defense Minister and Labor party chairman Amir Peretz issued a statement within minutes after Yishai. Peretz, head of the second largest party in the coalition, expressed concern that the current system of checks and balances in the government would be compromised. The agreements the prime minister spoke of are liable to harm the Knesset’s standing and its ability to check the power of government, he said. Peretz added that his party would shortly draft and present its own proposal for change. Newly-appointed Strategic Affairs Minister and Chairman of the Russian immigrant Yisrael Beiteinu party Avigdor Lieberman called for a change in the current system of government as one of five conditions set in order for his party to join the coalition. He promised last night that the next elections will be conducted differently. He added that the current instability in the government poses a strategic threat to the Jewish state.

Lieberman has said since before the elections that he feels the only hope for future stability in government is a change in the system of rule to a Presidential system with direct prime ministerial elections and fewer tiny parties. Olmert said at the time that he would support the bill at the cabinet level, but he would be unwilling to vote for it in the Knesset.Last Update: 08:33 November 10,2006

DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TR BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:(10 NATIONS) and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(BE HEAD OF 3 KINGS OR NATIONS).

FTA with EU not linked to Doha debacle
ECONOMY BUREAU
Posted online: Thursday, November 09, 2006 at 0000 hours IST

NEW DELHI, NOV 8: The government on Wednesday said the negotiations to ink a free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU) was not linked to the failure of the Doha round of WTO talks.

There is a clear understanding that India and EU is underway and failure of the Doha round has no influence on them, Rahul Khullar, additional secretary, department of commerce said at a meeting on Challenges and opportunities from a possible India-EU FTA. Khullar added that it was just a coincidence that the report by the Indo-EU high-level trade group came immediately after Doha suspension. He said an Indo-EU FTA will help both the sides gain in terms of investment and trade. This can work out as a win-win situation for both (India and EU) as we are talking of broad-basing trade and including goods and trade in services. This would, however, involve a mutual give and take, Khullar said.

Speaking on the occasion, Francisco da Camara Gomes, head of the EC delegation to India said the FTA with EU could be beneficial to India as currently, the EU trade with India is a meagre 1-2% of its total international trade. This leaves enough room for more investment. At the same time, the investment from India to EU should increase. Gomes clarified that the FTA is no substitute to multi-lateral negotiations under WTO but supports them.

GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

Police Move to a State of Emergency
05:22 Nov 10, '06 / 19 Cheshvan 5767
by Yechiel Spira(INN)

Israel Police has moved to a state of emergency, the agency’s highest alert status, in preparation for possible violence today, Friday.Police have moved to the highest alert status ahead of expected Jerusalem protests by Muslim worshipers following Friday Temple Mount prayers in protest against this week’s Beit Hanoun artillery mishap. Police also fear violent protests in opposition to Friday’s gay pride event to be held in a Givat Ram Stadium in the capital.Police around the country were moved to the state-of-emergency alert status, fearing possible widespread Arab violence following the day’s weekly prayer services in mosques, primarily focused on the Beit Hanoun incident that claimed close to 20 lives and leaving tens injured. Police Chief Moshe Karadi made the decision to move his entire department to the emergency status, with an emphasis being placed on Green Line perimeter areas, the Jerusalem envelope area and the capital. Police, working with other agencies, are making every effort to prevent a major terror attack. Intelligence community officials report over 80 general terror warnings, including 20 concrete credible warnings of planned attacks.

Some 3,000 policemen will be assigned to the Givat Ram gay pride event, in the hope of keeping protestors away from participants of the event. Fearing violence, the organizers of the Gay Pride Parade approached police with the idea of canceling the public event and arranging for the ‘private event’ inside the closed stadium, hoping the Sabbath observant community will back down from threats to stop the event from taking place in Jerusalem.

Meeting with hareidi-Orthodox rabbis, including the Eida Hareidit Rabbinical Court, police sought to have the leaders call off the planned protests which they fear will bring hundreds of thousands of hareidi-Orthodox protestors to the capital. Rabbi Tuvia Weiss, head of the rabbinical court, signaled they would call off the protests since the public parade was canceled and the event was moved to a private venue. The rabbis called on Jerusalem Police Chief Ilan Franco to release those community members in custody, arrested in violent protests during the week. They also called on the Open House organization to promise another such event would not be scheduled for next year. Franco has yet to respond to the rabbinical leaders regarding their demand to release detainees from custody.

Some of the organizers of the opposition in the hareidi-Orthodox camp predicted hundreds of thousands of protestors would turn out to stop the parade, stating that they would do anything it takes to prevent the march. Police are uncertain just how much opposition will turn out now; explaining they believe by moving the event to a closed forum may have calmed the voices of the opposition. Israel Police now focuses on the Arab community protests, shifting from the fears of violence from the Jewish community opposing the gay pride event.The Arab High Monitoring Committee met on Thursday in Be’er Sheva. The Israeli Arab leadership announced a protest rally against the Beit Hanoun incident will be held on Friday, at 3:00pm in Nazareth. Simultaneous protests are expected around the country. Police also expect protests to take place around the country over the weekend.

On the Temple Mount, police have imposed restrictions. Only males with Israeli identity cards over the age of 45 will be permitted to attend Temple Mount services. The move excludes all PA (Palestinian Authority) residents and younger worshipers, usually more prone to incite violence. There are no restrictions on female worshipers.While police expect the Islamic violence to surround the Beit Hanoun incident, the department is aware of the proclamation released by the Islamic Court, calling to take whatever action necessary to stop the gay pride event.Sheikh Tamimi released a statement that the Israeli government’s decision to permit the Gay Pride Parade in the capital is yet another move to undermine the holiness of Jerusalem, calling on Muslims to stop the event from taking place. Police are uncertain what the reaction will be to the revised Givat Ram event.Tensions will be running high in the capital this Friday, with Jerusalem Police Chief Franco reporting his forces are ready to take whatever actions necessary to maintain order during what promises to be a stormy Friday and Sabbath. Last Update: 05:22 November 10, 2006

THERE WILL BE A ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT HEADED BY THE EUROPEAN UNION.

DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

DANIEL 12:4,1
4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

REVELATION 13:1-3,7,8,12,16-18
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

REVELATION 17:3,7,9-10,12,18
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

Ex-commissioner warns against Brussels federalism
09.11.2006 - 17:15 CET | By Mark Beunderman (EU OBSERVER)

Former Dutch member of the European Commission Frits Bolkestein has strongly criticised Brussels for meddling too much in national affairs, calling upon commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso to temper some of his federal-minded commissioners.Mr Bolkestein, who served as the internal market commissioner from 1999 to 2004, on Tuesday (7 November) slammed his former work place for allegedly over-regulating in several policy areas ranging from obesity to energy efficiency, Dutch press agency ANP reports.Referring to commission plans to fight obesity, he said at a liberal meeting in Brussels I also believe that people should watch their weight. But is this a European task?

On commission legislation on energy-saving buildings, the Dutchman asked Are these buildings cross-border ? They stand where they stand. That is none of Europe's business.Mr Bolkestein, a free-market liberal, claimed that such foolish plans reflect a desire by some commissioners who he characterised as eager beavers to turn the EU into a federal state.He called upon commission chief Barroso to intervene in his commissioners' tendency to interfere in member states' competencies.The president of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, should clearly speak out and state that he does not want a federal state. He has never done this as far as I know. This would temper the eager beavers, he said.According to ANP, the outspoken Dutchman also suggested that 85 percent of the EU budget could be scrapped, referring to Brussels' agricultural and regional funds which according to the ex-commissioner do nothing but hinder the functioning of the bloc's internal market.

Mr Bolkestein further reiterated his scepticism for Turkish EU membership, having been the only commissioner who in October 2004 voted against Brussels' recommendation to open accession talks with Ankara.He said Turkish accession would open the door to states such as Ukraine, Georgia and Azerbaijan to join the union at a later stage. Such an enlargement to 45 member states would fatally weaken the EU.Mr Bolkestein, who is also a former leader of the Dutch Liberals, is known for his opposition to far-reaching political integration of the EU, but at the same time he has pushed closer economic integration.As a commissioner he introduced the EU's controversial services directive dubbed Bolkestein directive designed to open up the bloc's services market.

This Week with Rabbi Eckstein
November 9, 2006

Dear Friend of The Fellowship,

On November 9-10, 1938, Germany's Jews endured two nights of terror. During Kristallnacht (the night of broken glass), angry mobs rioted throughout Germany, attacking Jews and destroying synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses and institutions.German officials called it a spontaneous riot. But today, we know with certainty that Kristallnacht was carefully planned by the Nazi regime.

While German Jews had been subject to oppressive laws and restrictions for years, Kristallnacht was a turning point the official beginning of Hitler's final solution aimed at the extermination of Jews throughout Europe.Firsthand accounts of Kristallnacht tell a chilling story. One observer, a non-Jewish Englishman living in Germany, described a mob attack on a Jewish children's hospital this way:

In minutes the windows had been smashed and the doors forced. When we arrived the swine were driving the wee mites out over the broken glass, bare-footed and wearing nothing but their nightshirts. The nurses, doctors and attendants were being kicked and beaten by the mob leaders.In Berlin, a Jewish resident, who watched the synagogue he had attended since childhood burn to the ground, gave this account:The air was filled with the acrid smell of smoke. I was wedged in the middle of a hostile crowd that was in an ugly mood, shouting anti-Semitic slogans…. I thought of the many times I had attended services (at the Synagogue) and listened to the sermons, all of which had fortified my soul during the difficult years of persecution. As another synagogue burned, a firefighter, who hurried to the scene and watched helplessly, shared this emotional testimony:

We were ordered not to use any water till the whole Synagogue was burned down.… In the meantime, the marshals rounded up the Jews and dragged them in front of the Synagogue, where they had to kneel down and put their hands above their heads. I saw with my own eyes how one old Jew was dragged down and pushed to his knees…. Stories like this are difficult to read—some would even say they are too horrible to retell. But there is a reason that the Jewish people have vowed to never forget. It is only by remembering what happened in the past that we can prevent such things from happening again. Our future—and our very lives—may well depend on our vigilance.

God, too, has modeled for us this remembrance. Many of the observances in Jewish life the Passover seder, the celebration of Purim are based on remembrance.

Think of God's command to eat unleavened bread during Passover so that all the days of your life you may remember the time of your departure from Egypt (Deuteronomy 16:3). The Jews are an ancient people—and their call to both remember the past and God's work within history to preserve and protect his chosen people permeates all aspects of their lives.

Today, as we remember that terrible time when German Jews quite literally saw their world and their families being destroyed before them, let us bow our heads in somber prayer. Let us continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and for freedom and security for oppressed Jewish populations all over the world, some of whom today live in situations almost as perilous as those faced by German Jews sixty-eight years ago.

With prayers for shalom, peace,

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein
President
International Fellowship of Christians and Jews

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Muslim’s Election Is Celebrated Here and in Mideast
By NEIL MacFARQUHAR (new York Times)
Published: November 10, 2006

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 9 Keith Ellison wore his religion lightly on the campaign trail, mentioning it only when asked. But Muslims

across America, and even overseas, celebrated his election Tuesday as the first Muslim in Congress, representing Minnesota’s Fifth District in the House of Representatives, as a sign of acceptance and a welcome antidote to their faith’s sinister image. It’s a step forward; it gives the Muslims a little bit of a sense of belonging, said Osama A. Siblani, the publisher of The Arab American News, a weekly in Dearborn, Mich., a state with one of the heaviest concentrations of Muslims. It is also a signal to the rest of the world that America has nothing against Muslims. If we did, he wouldn’t have been elected.Mr. Ellison’s success was front-page news in several of the Arab world’s largest newspapers and high in the lineup on television news programs.

Few of his supporters expect Mr. Ellison, a 43-year-old criminal defense lawyer who converted to Islam as a 19-year-old college student, to effect any policy shifts in areas of concern to Muslim Americans, particularly when it comes to foreign policy and civil rights.Mr. Siblani joked that even if all 28 new Democrats were Muslims, it is unlikely they would be able to sway the way Congress invariably votes in support of Israel. But many Muslims believe that just having a Muslim perspective around can make some difference. Congress needs to reflect the diversity of America, and that means its vibrant religious diversity as well, said Farhana Khera, the executive director of the National Association of Muslim Lawyers and a former senior Senate staff member. It’s good to have diverse voices on the House floor, in committees and caucus meetings. It is good for the country to have different views aired, especially when the primary national issues relate to Islam and affect Muslims in this country and Muslims overseas.

In a telephone interview, Mr. Ellison, who will also be the first black to represent Minnesota in the House, said his faith was particularly helpful in galvanizing the large community of Somali immigrants in his district, but the overall impact was difficult to assess. For some people, it might have been a problem and other people it was a bonus, Mr. Ellison said, noting that the campaign had received a fair amount of nasty e-mail and telephone calls denigrating Islam.

He said that his priority was to represent his district, but that he hoped to do it in a way that touched a wider swath of Americans. I think a lot of Muslims feel highly vulnerable and feel that they are under a tremendous amount of scrutiny, he said when asked if he felt he was wearing a particular mantle, of representing Muslim interests. I am going to do it from a standpoint of improving the quality of civil and human rights for all people in America.

Many Muslim American activists hope Mr. Ellison will inspire other Muslims to run for office, some even comparing his candidacy to John F. Kennedy’s breaking the taboo against a Roman Catholic’s being president. I think it has inspired American Muslims, said Adeeba Al-Zaman, 23, who flew from her home in Philadelphia to Minneapolis to volunteer to work in the last few days of Mr. Ellison’s campaign. The fact that he won will probably motivate other Muslims that we have a shot and we matter and we are a part of the fabric of this society and we should be engaged because we have a chance.Ms. Al-Zaman also noted that with Mr. Ellison in office, Muslims would seem more normal, and that Congress and all Americans would see that we care about things like health care and education and everything else that all Americans care about.

The sense of vindication is even stronger because Mr. Ellison was attacked on religious grounds by his Republican opponent, Alan Fine. In September, Mr. Fine said that as a Jew he was personally offended by Mr. Ellison’s past support for Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the radical group Nation of Islam. Mr. Ellison denied any link to Mr. Farrakhan and reached out to Jews, eventually gaining some endorsements from Jewish groups.In the end, Mr. Ellison won 56 percent of the vote in his district, a Democratic stronghold that covers much of downtown Minneapolis and its immediate suburbs. Mr. Fine took 21 percent, as did Tammy Lee of the Independence Party. The incumbent, Martin Olav Sabo, is retiring Attacks on Mr. Ellison’s religion helped galvanize Muslim Americans nationally, with supporters raising money from Florida to Michigan to California. His supporters were quick to point out that they backed Mr. Ellison not simply because he was a Muslim, but also because of his progressive platform, which included calls for universal health insurance and a withdrawal of forces from Iraq, and because he was running a positive campaign.

Mr. Ellison’s victory was widely noted in the larger Muslim world. The day after the election, it was the third headline mentioned on Al Jazeera, the most popular satellite news channel in the Middle East, right after a report that 18 Palestinian civilians had been killed by Israeli artillery in the Gaza Strip and a report on the overall Democratic sweep in the elections. The news garnered a rich variety of comments from Arab readers on the Web site of Al Arabiya, a satellite news channel based in Dubai. God willing in the next election, half of Congress will be from the rational Muslims, wrote one reader, while another said, May God make this the beginning of victory for Muslims on the very ground of the despots.A third wrote, We pray to God that you will be successful and will move forward in improving the image of Islam and the Muslims.

Arab news reports highlighted the fact that Mr. Ellison would probably take the oath of office on the Koran, something which also upset Muslim-bashers in the blogosphere. Some suggested it meant he would pledge allegiance to Islamic law rather than to upholding the Constitution. Mr. Ellison said he had not really thought about the swearing-in ceremony and had tried to keep the campaign focused on issues rather than his religion. Mona el Naggar contributed reporting from Cairo.

Angus Reid Global Monitor : Polls & Research
President Zapatero Drops Slightly in Spain,November 10, 2006

Public backing for José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero fell this month in Spain, according to a poll by Instituto Opina released by Cadena Ser. 49.1 per cent of respondents approve of the president’s performance, down 2.7 points since late September.Zapatero—of the Socialist Worker’s Party (PSOE)—was sworn in as president of the government in April 2004, following his party’s victory in the legislative ballot. The conservative Popular Party (PP) had administered the government under José María Aznar since 1996.

Support is steady for current PP leader Mariano Rajoy. 31.4 per cent of respondents approve of the opposition leader’s performance, up 0.2 points since late September.Zapatero’s government has passed several bills regarding sexual liberties, including one that legalized same-sex marriage in Spain. On Nov. 9, the legislature approved legislation that will allow people who have been diagnosed with gender-identity disorder to legally change their gender, without the need of surgery. PSOE spokesperson Carmen Montón declared, This law was a socialist promise of this government that we have kept.

Polling Data

Do you approve or disapprove of the performance of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero as president?

Nov. 3
Sept. 28
Sept. 13

Approve
49.1%
51.8%
51.4%

Disapprove
43.2%
40.7%
41.9%

Do you approve or disapprove of the performance of Mariano Rajoy as opposition leader?

Nov. 3
Sept. 28
Sept. 13

Approve
31.4%
31.2%
31.4%

Disapprove
61.4%
60.8%
62.4%

Source: Instituto Opina / Cadena Ser,Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,000 Spanish adults, conducted on Nov. 3, 2006.

Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.