Arab neighbors joined ISIS slaughter, escaped Yazidi says

Faysh Khabur, Iraq (CNN) -- In an exodus of almost biblical proportions, thousands trudge across a river to escape killers belonging to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS.

Entire families carry nothing but the clothes on their backs. Some are barefoot.

Jamal Jamir, a 23-year-old university student from Sinjar, told CNN his family fled to the barren and windswept Mount Sinjar more than a week ago after ISIS captured their town. The group, which calls itself the Islamic State, has been on a rampage, killing members of various minorities, including Yazidis.

Sabah, Sarawak activists petition the UN

MIRI: Sabah, Sarawak activists, NGOs and politicians, have drawn up a Petition, addressed to the UN Secretary-General, on re-visiting the self-determination issue for Sabah and Sarawak.

The Petition is being copied to the UN Special Committee of 24 (C-24), or Decolonization Committee, and the UN Human Rights Committee.

Pope says the violence in Iraq offends God and humanity

ROME (Reuters) - Pope Francis said that violence and destruction in Iraq offends God and humanity and he held a silent prayer for victims of the conflict during his weekly address in Rome on Sunday.

"We are left incredulous and dismayed by the news coming from Iraq," the Argentine-born pontiff said, two days after the United States began air strikes to tackle an insurgency that threatens to tear the country apart.

"Thousands of people, among them many Christians, banished brutally from their houses, children dying of hunger and thirst as they flee, women kidnapped, people massacred, violence of all kinds, destruction everywhere ... All of this deeply offends God and deeply offends humanity."

Will anyone stop ISIS?

Yazidi lawmaker: We're being slaughtered

Activist: Must act before 40,000 killed

Iraqis shelter in unfinished buildings

(CNN) -- If you're following the news about ISIS, which now calls itself the Islamic State, you might think you've mistakenly clicked on a historical story about barbarians from millennia ago.

In a matter of months, the group seized territory in both Iraq and Syria and declared an Islamic caliphate, celebrating its own shocking slaughter along the way.

SARAWAKIANS INCREASINGLY OPEN TO SECEDING

By borneoasean reports / 7 hours ago

KUCHING: A straw poll of 100 individuals revealed that 72% of Sarawak folk felt that leaving the federation was the best option, with only 14% in Sabah agreeing.

The straw poll also revealed that 43% of them believed that the best way for Sabah and Sarawak to solve their problems was to leave Malaysia and go at it alone.

Secession is considered treason under Malaysian law.

The poll indicated that deep feelings of mistrust and disenchantment still exist between the peninsula Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak half a century after the federation was formed on September 16, 1963.

Netanyahu: Hamas wants ‘telegenically dead Palestinians’ to seek the world's sympathy

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Tel Aviv, July 11, 2014
(photo credit: Haim Zach/GPO/Flash90)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu charged Sunday that Hamas was callously making use of Palestinian casualties for the sake of the visual impact in television images and called on the international community to intervene and demilitarize the Gaza Strip.

In an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, Netanyahu accused Hamas of a cynical disregard for human life.

NOT KNOWING WHY WE DISAGREE

Now, why did Emperor Constantine who was not even a Christian take so much trouble to interfere in Christianity and decide what form Christianity should take? In fact, it was Constantine who called for the Conference and who took charge of the proceedings.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Malaysian politics used to be very much about race. That was bad. But now it has gotten even worse. Now Malaysian politics is about religion. And if you think racial politics is bad you have seen nothing yet. Religious politics is many more times worse and history can testify to this.

Sabah Should Formalize Setting Up Homeland Security - Dr. Jeffrey

Kota Kinabalu: “The Sabah and Federal governments should consider setting up a full-fledged Sabah Homeland Security Ministry as a long term security mechanism instead of relying on an ad-hoc piecemeal arrangement reacting only to  events such as kidnappings and foreign intrusion as and when they occur” said Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, Chairman of Star Sabah, who is also the assemblyman for Bingkor.

Papers of "Krisis perkataan Allah • Hak berperlembagaan • Kebebasan beragama" forum

Attached papers written by Prof Shad Saleem Faruqi, Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa and Mr. P. Waytha Moorthy, specially for "Krisis perkataan Allah • Hak berperlembagaan • Kebebasan beragama" forum jointly organised by Sahabat Rakyat Working Committee and Lajnah Perpaduan Nasional (LPN) PAS Johor held on 4 May 2014 at Auditorium JOTIC, JB. The said papers are: 

1. Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr Hj Shad Saleem Faruqi ~ The Kalimah Allah Issue – The Peninsular Malaysian Perspective

2. Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan ~ Allah is for All - A Sabah Perspective

3. Dr. Mujahid Yusof Rawa ~ Kalimah Allah dan Hujahan

4. Mr. P. Waytha Moorthy ~The Ambiguity of Federal Constitution and Reluctance of Judiciary to Protect Religious Freedom of Minorities

We are much obliged if you could publish these articles in full for the benefit of your readers.

Allah Is For All A Sabah Perspective

PDF Version

I. Introduction

Religion has never been an issue in Sabah until recently. So, is the word “Allah” for God. It is not an issue.

Religion is between God and the individual. It is a personal thing; a personal choice. Many families in Sabah have family members professing different religion and religious belief; even in my family, we have Christians, Muslims and Buddhists. There is no problem because we respect each other's beliefs.