Zionist, Jewish, liberal, Green

To the titles of: Zionist, Jewish, liberal, it is appropriate to add the title: ''Green''.  

The State of Israel sees the image of Israel as the land of the Bible a central component of its identity and religious tourism is one of the most important parts of its economy. 

Idyllic appearance is probably the most important criterion according by which Israel is examined by the peoples of the world. Likud party should adopt the identity ''Green". This identity is also the key for economic prosperity of Israel, as it encompasses a great many technological horizons, including the use of alternative energy, advanced public transport, urban and regional planning and more. In many areas the state leads.

The country is one geographical unit of Environment and Planning from the Mediterranean to the Jordan river. The insight of the entire land of Israel as one environmental unit must be reflected in all government programs.

But the desolate land of the Zionist pioneers is now largely covered by concrete and asphalt. The Palestinian residents in the country between the Mediterranean and the Jordan river are competing in doing so, creating a clash between two masses of territoriality, which has become a form of terrorism. Already we are experiencing here ecological collapse, it is still slow but could accelerate as a snowball. Nations may prefer the land of Israel as the object of their messianic longings. However, manicured environment generates respect from others, and conditions for peace can be realized for granted in a country which is working on the development of the natural landscape.

The chaos of the improper regional planning in Israel expanded to the municipal and metropolitan environment and has become embedded in Haifa metropolitan area in particular. In this metropolis, with the capital city of Haifa, there are dozens of smaller settlements, most of which are located in the bay and its surrounding. The total population is close to one million. But there is almost no coordination between communities, coordination that could be realized within the framework of consolidating authorities.

Many citizens of Haifa metropolitan area, a region with a rich history and educated population, seen as a subject of central importance for their future and the entire State of Israel, the gradual and full termination of petrochemical plants and their facilities in Haifa Bay, which dominate the area and are very dangerous in terms of health, safety, and for socio- Economic reasons.

From a health perspective, Haifa metropolitan area is suffering from cancer in a percentage which is much higher than the average of Israel. Ministry of Health thinks of declaring  it a danger to health zone. Citizens, who have been here for decades, should not be suprised of this statement, especially since many years will pass before the declaration will be implemented in practice. Citizens already know this first hand, because their hospital beds are full of sick children, a fact which was confirmed statistically. The full list of the health damage that  pollution causes is very long and has far-reaching implications. It includes brain shrinkage.

The safety-security reason for eliminating the  petrochemicals facilities is clear: Haifa bay is a constant target for instant rocket attacks. Missiles may blow up the entire region and lead easily to tens of thousands of victims.

Economically, there is a big problem throughout Israel of homes shortage and another problem in Haifa metropolitan area of a shortage of jobs, which creates negative emigration from the region. Residential areas should be established, together with advanced industrial zones in this metropolis. The petrochemical plants are on expensive land, near the beach and the river, with spectacular views, in the heart of population centers. The taxes the factories pay are very low, compared to that from a population of millions of people, who can live and work on the same land.

Mayor Yona Yahav and his coalition are supporting the development of toxic petrochemical enterprises and their facilities, together with the establishment of a new monster port. His past mistakes caused deterioration in the health and socio-economic situation. Haifa metropolitan area is already in a decaying course.

Environmental activists of Haifa metropolitan area are monitoring available polluion statistics of the petrochemical facilities. They professionally oppose the dangers of increasing their capacity. 

Their efforts are combined with those of urban planning experts against the government programs for new and unnecessary port with a huge yards, on reclaimed land from the sea.

These days, opposition activists following the official programs focus on:

Tripling the production capacity of the Bazan refineries.

Construction of a huge fuel tanks farm nearby.

Huge containers docks and yards, togehther with petroleum dock, on reclaimed area from the sea which will serve as a "new port".

Haifa new master plan which is in favor of all of the above.

Their opposition proceedings are against government programs that are in the final stages of formal approval. If these programs are approved it will seal the future of Haifa and Israel. These programs will make Haifa metropolitan area a Third World place:

Most fuel production will be for export.

Most of the containers at the ugly giant yards will be staying for a short transit time between large to small ships.

The pollution will increase greatly as a result of increased production.

Safety and security risks will grow because of the explosive potential of dense installations.

Haifa's green activists were born into this situation, of living near petrochemical plants and a port which block the sea. They gradually gather new insights and conclusions in a learning process. They hope that the world will help them assess the situation, so we all will enjoy the true gifts that the land can offer.

Even if you solve the problem of air pollution there will still be the problem of the economic absurdity of the existence of petrochemical plants in Haifa metropolitan area. 

This absurdity can be illustrated using the following question: How would Tel Aviv metropolis developed if the international airport will be replaced with petrochemical plants? Will it enable economic growth in the region, or it would become desolate and deserted? Petrochemical plants in Haifa bay provide employment for thousands of workers, compared with the hundreds of thousands who make a living, directly and indirectly, from the airport. This is an ongoing farce. These plants, spread out all around the bay and are its dominant view, are dinosaurs which destroy everything good.

The economic future of Haifa metropolitan area should be based on advanced clean industries, fruit of its academic institutions, and utilization of the unique natural features of Mount Carmel and Haifa bay, with a beach of a potential for 30 kilometers of riviera, close to major religious sites and more. 

But Haifa may be left without attention, as a metropolitan with no airport, no beaches, no jobs and no homes. 

Haifa Bay is enjoying beautiful weather, sunny, clear and calm for most of the year. It is likely to attract many tourists to its the beautiful and historic sites. Tourists currently only pass through on their way to other places. The bay is originally one of the most beautiful areas in Israel. With the beach, mountain and river, it is a spectacular landscape. Combined with its geographic advantages for deep ports and transportation routes it  could become a global center such as Singapore, or at least Beirut our nearby competitor. Instead, in its heart are the polluting factories, which have accumulated huge debts to the authorities and are with unclear future in light of changing market conditions.

Singapore has limited land resources, and its leaders were wise enough to realize that for developing its human resources they need to develop the place properly. In addition, they realized that they must ensure the development of an international airport. Today, airport revenues make up about 20% income of the city-state, which operates the largest seaport in the world. Singapore is the role model for the independent Chinese growth regions, which have become the economic powerhouse of the world. Haifa metropolitan area is in need of a major international airport, surrounded by high-tech business. The contribution of an airport city here will be much more greater than to Singapore, thanks to the aviation industry we have developed.

There is no practical way for the establishment of a civil airport at Ramat-David. Reasons for that fall into several categories:

Strategically, the Air Force and the defense establishment will not give it up now, with the terrible threats from north and east.

There are no geographic conditions for passenger aircraft operations, due to the need to lower and rise quickly over mountain ranges, also with fog for several hours during the day.

Economically, there is no infrastructure for an international civilian airport in this agricultural area which is relatively far from the major population centers of the coastal plain.

International airport in Ramat-David will destroy the most beautiful valley of the country, the Jezreel Valley, which is one of our last beautiful landscapes.

Haifa Bay can have two runways for Boeing 747 on the same area now designed for the new container yards. Undoubtedly, long runway into the sea in Haifa will be high on the list of the world's most spectacular landing sites and will help greatly to make the entire metropolis a tourism site. On the side of the long runway can be port docks, and doing so will increase the size of the planned port. Although the combined runway/breakwater will be very long, the extension of the breakwater against it, on the western side of the bay, will enclose economically a very large area of safe water.

Plan to extend the runway into the sea in current Haifa airport, which was build by the British and was never changed, were prepared by experts chaired by minister Ephraim Sneh back in 1995. They were approved by the highest committy, but was opposed at the last minute. This may be because the plan was not supported by equivalent gradual termination of the petrochemical plants which are close to the airfield. This program is currently still supported by the city's senior economic officials, who envision the international airport realized through several beats.

The plants, along with the unnecessary port, must move to third world countries, on purely economic criteria, as many other industries immigrated to these countries, where there is huge demand for them, and the labor and land costs are lower. An example of a manufacturing industry which was successfully transferred from Israel is the textile industry.

An area suitable for the transfer of the petrochemical plants is the coast of the East African countries that have friendly relations with Israel, such as Ethiopia and Kenya. These countries are also near the oil resources of the Persian Gulf. Oil refineries there will be able to interact with non-political connection with the State of Israel and enjoy all the associated economic benefits.

It is possible that the gas reserves discovered off the coast of Haifa has also a lot of oil. Noble Energy wants to build the gas and oil tankers terminal near the rig and we should support the company in this process. The gas and oil for local use, piped to Israel, could be processed in small facilities, to be constructed away from inhabited areas, if it is decided that Israel must be independent about it. But it is also possible to completely give up the production of refined fuels and settle for the establishment of large reservoirs to serve the economy in times of emergency.

The world is in transition for clean energy, particularly solar energy. Within a decade solar energy will be a major part of mankind's energy resources, so there is no financial reason to invest in oil infrastructure at the present. Transfering from Haifa bay of the petrochemical enterprises should be integrated with operations of increasing the use of clean energy in Israel.

The list of Israeli government ministers of 2015 consists of a large number of senior ministers formerly from Haifa metropolitan area. In addition, there are several ministers closely associated with the issues of regional development and the problems of Haifa metropolitan area. They can act to save the metropolis. This may be a unique opportunity.

Government ministers with connection to Haifa metropolitan area are:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - originally from Jerusalem, but his wife Sara is from Tivon, which is located near the petrochemical plants. They live in Caesarea, near the largest power station of Israel and also close to Haifa.

Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon - Ya'alon was born and raised in Haifa and in Haifa University he graduated in political science.

Education Minister Naftali Bennett - Bennett was born and grew up in Haifa. 

Moshe Kachalon, Minister of Finance - was a military man in its suburbs. After his military career he opened a small business in downtown Haifa, was a resident of Haifa and a member of the Likud branch in the city, where his political career began.

Yuval Steinitz, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure - studied and lectured at the University of Haifa and was a city resident and member of the Likud branch for many years.

Interior Minister Silvan Shalom - expert in regional development, deputy prime minister, a cabinet member, and minister of regional development and rehabilitation. A public figure like Shalom should take charge in Haifa Bay.

Yoav Galant, Minister of Housing and Construction - served as a fighter and commander of Squadron 13, headquartered near Haifa. He holds a BA with honors in Economics and Business Administration from the University of Haifa. Lives in Amikam, near Zichron Yaakov.

Miri Regev,  culture and sports  minister -  support green organizations of Haifa metropolitan area.

Benny Begin, a minister without portfolio - an expert on the subject of illegal settelments. 

The spectacular amphitheater view of Haifa bay creates within the viewers a constant stimulation for action, often too hasty and expressed in actions and programs unreasonable, especially given the antagonism of the petrochemical plants and ugly container yards. The combination of maritime and airial transport systems, described above, is an elegant solution to that issue.

There is great importance to the gradual evacuation of the oil refineries from their current location. They are exactly in the rear of the airport, in the orbit path which is essential for large passenger aircraft. The refineries area should become entirely part of the Kishon Park, a park which will be designed as a combination of a metropolis green park and airplanes orbit path.

Creation of Haifa International Airport should be combined with the gradual evacuation of the plants and petrochemical installations in the bay. In this way land reserves will be created for residential buildings and advanced business and industry. Many jobs will be created for the airport's needs. The slogan: ''No to Refineries - Yes to Airport'', should be made a reality.

Greece as a musical note

Greece as a musical note

Star Shape of Paris

Paris metropolitan area is getting nowdays a much wider definition, with the aim of adjusting it to the modern era of rapid passenger trains, which cruise at a speed of 200 km per hour and more and extend the daily commuting distance to 200-300 km from the city center.

The question is how to define the new pattern of expanstion of paris: will it be circular, rectangular or perhaps ameba shape. By drawing few abstract lines the entire planning will be determined.

After looking at a large scale map which show the main routes and cities of France and its neighbors it is clear that the expansion pattern of Paris megalopolis should be that of a simple star. Symetrical '5 corners star' is the expanding pattern of the city for hundreds of years.

The 5 corners of this star are:

North - London

North East - Frankfurt

Soutn East - Geneve

South West - Bordeau

North West - Le Havre

The star pattern correspond with Paris nickname as "the city of lights" and with the city center of "Triumphal Arch of the Star" square.

Paris megalopolis star planning

Blender face

Dolphin shape of Rhodes

The island of Rhodes in Greece has a dolphin shape. 

Rhodes city is situated where the 'dolphin nose' is, on the north tip of the island.
Rhodes citizens are proud of it and created a statue of dolphines in the harbour.

a dolphin

Rhodes island in Greece has a dolphin shape

Dolphines statue in Rhodes harbour

Several new songs

Sea is mirror

Sea is mirror
Alive by itself
Women are too

Sea and women
Create love together
Beauty peace love

Wind is blowing
Ship is sailing
Music is coming

Under the sea

Under the sea
There are fish
With many colors

In the cities
There are streets
With neon lights

But your beauty
Is shining more
Of them all

Seven Tastes Liquer

High on mountains
Monks prepare liquer
Of seven tastes

Made from herbs
Bottom to heaven
It is felt

Shoes to hair
You're the same
When passing by

Coastline of Haifa bay look like a golden spiral

Coastline of the entire bay from Haifa to Acre is similar to a whole golden spiral.
It is like an extended seashell.

Transfering the petrochemical plants from Haifa Bay

Bazan refineries, in the background, dominate the landscape of Haifa bay and destroy it

Citizens of Haifa metropolitan area, an area with rich history and educated population, regard as a major issue for the future of them and Israel the gradual and complete elimination of all petrochemical plants and facilities in Haifa Bay, which dominate the environment and are very dangerous from health, safety and socio-economic reasons.

Haifa metropolitan area suffer from cancer diseases in a percentage which is much higher then the average of Israel. In one form of cancer it even hold the world record. The ministry of health think of declaring the area as a "Health Hazardous Zone". The citizens, who suffer for decades, do not need this declaration, specially because it will take numerous committees and researches to apply it. The citizens already know it so well because their hospitals beds are filled with children sick of cancer, a fact which is approved statistically.

The safety reason for eliminating the plants is obvious: Haifa bay is a constant target for immediate missiles attacks which can blow the whole area and cause easily tens of thousands of victims.

There is a big housing problem in Israel and shortage of work places in this area which create negative immigration. Modern residential and occupation areas should be set up here. The petrochemical plants are situated on valuable land, on sea and river shores, with a spectacular view and in the heart of population centers. The Taxes that they pay nowadays are far lower compared to the taxes from a healthy population which can live and work in the future in this currently under developed surrounding.

Haifa metropolitan area ecology activists put great efforts on monitoring the current pollution statistics from the petrochemical facilities and object professionally to the dangers of increasing their capacity. Their efforts are combined with those of urban planning experts, who focus also on plans for a new unnecessary huge private port on reclaimed land from the sea.

These days the activists objections are focused on the following formal plans:

A. tripling of the production capacity of Bazan refineries under the name of ''new arrangement''.

B. building of giant fuels containers farm nearby.

C. building of huge container yards and fuels terminal in reclaimed land which will be a private port.

D. new master plan of Haifa which is in favor of all the above.

These opposition proceedings are against government plans which are in the final formal stages of approval. If these plans will be accomplished, the future of Haifa and Israel will be doomed forever.

This plans will turn Haifa area into a Third World place: The majority of the plants production is for export. Most of the ships containers will be in the yards only for transit. The needless petrochemical plants and facilities, together with the extra port, should move to third world countries, if only for reasons of economic viability, as all such industries move to countries with huge demand and low labour and land cost.

Haifa metropolitan area need large international airport, surrounded by an airport city of high tech businesses which will contribute a lot to the local economy. A reclaimed land and clean surrounding can be used for it.

Haifa bay enjoy beautiful, sunny, bright and calm weather most of the year and could attract many tourists to this basically beautiful and historically rich area, tourists who at the moment just pass by and go to other places.

Haifa's mayor Yona Yahav and his coalition support the development of the poisonous petrochemical plants and their facilities, together with the formation of the new monstrous port. It will deteriorate the health and socio-economic situation here. As a result of his mistakes Haifa metropolitan social-economic structure is already crumbling.

Haifa's green activists were born to this situation of living near petrochemical plants and a port which block the sea, so they gradually collect new insights and conclusions in a learning process. They hope that the world  will help them to evaluate the situation with objective eyes, so we shall all enjoy the true gifts this land has to offer us.

Two faces of the Caspian sea

When looking at at the Caspian sea from above with Google Earth one can see two human faces: 

A. face of the sea itself with the profile looking eastward.

B. face of the eastern shore with the profile looking westward.

The complete picture resemble the idea of "two faces in a vase".

"Two faces in a wase" was a subject which was investigated by Salvador Dali in one of his famous paintings.

The east shore face resemble that of an old bearded man, a character depicted well in Pablo Picasso's father painting. 

The whole sea face resemble a woman face, a character depicted well in Picasso's mother painting.

Picasso was a mentor of Dali.

Caspian sea eastern shores are a man's profile looking to the west

Caspian sea water are woman's profile looking to the east

Two faces in a vase

"Salvador Dali's "Two faces in a vase

Pablo Picasso's mother

Pablo Picasso's father

Picasso's parents images with Dali's "two faces" and the Caspian sea images in the background

Elimination of polluting petrochemical plants in Haifa Bay

A major issue for the future of Israel is the importance of the elimination of polluting petrochemical plants in Haifa Bay, which are very dangerous from a security perspective too. 

Instead modern residential areas should be set up. 

Like the military bases evacuation in centeral Israel, this will help solve the problem of housing too. 

The Petrochemical plants are situated on valuable land, on sea and river shores, with a spectacular view and in the heart of population centers. State taxes these  plants pay are far lower compared to the taxes to be paid by a population which can live in new cities on their grounds.

These days opposition proceedings continue to the new master plan of Haifa, which is in favor of the continued development of new port facilities and construction of huge container yards with infinite space, together with development of the petrochemical plants.

The majority of the plants production is for export and most of the ships containers will stay in the yards only for transit.

The needless extra port and the plants should move to third world countries, if only for reasons of economic viability, as in the past the textile industry moved from Israel to such countries. 

Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav and his coalition  are in favor of the formation of the new monsterous port and development of the poisonous pertochemical plants. As a result of this conceptual failure Haifa social-economic structure is crumbling.

Deva Premal - Gayatri Mantra (2 hours)

Terrorism of poor regional planning in Israel

The 'Human figure map of the Holy Land' was created, in part, from a desire to give the  environmentally wounded Land of Israel an idyllic look.

The desolate land with a natural look which was attended by early Zionists is nowdays largely covered with a layer of concrete and asphalt, in part because of the desire for territorial achivements.

The Arabs who live in Israel and the Palestinian Authority copied the pattern and also conquered the country in the same format, of towns invading endlessly to natural areas.

The result is a clash between two teritorial masses, which already reached a critical level.

Peace to Israel will not come by politicians, nor by capital investments in combined projects of any kind.

Peace will come by geographers and city and regional planners, who will sit and draw maps of areas and settlements under the most desirable and appropriate pattern, to enable the different communities in this land to grow in harmony. 

It will be done not in accordance with 'facts on the grounds' by which, for example, most Arab towns  in Israel were declaired as cities without a proper planning, or asphalt barons constructed more and more highways with intensive consuming of land and the like.

Planning should be done according to what is right and correct from the planning point of view, under the fact that the whole land from the Jordan river to the Mediteranean sea is just one small geographical unit, a small piece of land which should be designed and built under this definition.

This insight of more then just close proximity, the insight of one planning area, was ignored by the international and local politicians.

What will be the benefit of a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians if they will develop in their land concrete communities, which will spread within a few years and will cover all the hills, valleys and plains in an uncontrolled way.

Formulating a peace agreement without a united landscape image, designed and detailed in all aspects, will paradoxically hasten our  common downfall.

There are two theories of general regional collapse due to a severe environmental crisis:

The first describes the gradual and slow collapse.

The second describes an immediate collapse, after many years of apparent stability.

The best known result of terrorist extremism is terrorist acts against human beings. The results which are less published, but are very noticeable for those who know the land, are of construction terrorism, which violate the ecological balance and lndscape views under the arguments of religious, political and sectorial values.

The valleys around the Temple Mount, which were once green areas, had become over the last few decades crowded urban housing and unplanned neighborhoods.

On the other hand, the Israeli government covered the green hills around Jerusalem with suburban neighborhoods.

A building which is built in an inappropriarte  place will remain for centuries. Even if it would be demolished, there will be a very long time until nature will cover the ruins. 

This is in contrast to air pollution, which can be fixed within a relativly short time.

These serious facts on the ground are a form of terrorism that makes the conflict insoluble.

Alleged minor defaults of local authorities, which are not careful enough about construction laws, including careful planning and tight control, are the real source of the conflict today.

The Christian powers watch after the handling of the State of Israel in the field of regional planning. 

For them the State of Israel is part of the Holy Land, the idyllic land of the Bible and the New Testament, which is the object of all time longing.

Perhaps they prefer an ecological disaster, the result of construction violations which will make the country a no man's land, where might makes right.

Such a disaster is in accordance with the Messianic Christian concept of heavenly Jerusalem and the land of Israel as a place of longing only.

Environmental issues are very important to Germany in particular. Germany's re-unification was performed largely thanks to the strong German Green Party.

If we will learn to understand the critical importance of regional planning and establish appropriate authorities to enforce it properly, we can leverage it to a level where a peace agreement with the Palestinians would not be necessary.

Peace will be realized for granted in a country which is working on maintaining and developing the natural landscape, just as a person is recognized and respected by those around him if he behave properly.

Man is shaped in the pattern of the landscape of his birthplace.

The chaos of unplanned environment is spreading also to the planned urban environment.

Here are some examples of planning chaos in the cities in which we live:

Haifa metropolitan area is where the situation of the environment is getting worse all the time, in terms of regional planning in particular. For example, small adjacent cities with similar communities in Haifa bay create a dense cluster and long had to be united into one big city. This was not done and the result is a multi-year environmental cheos. The lack of strong leadership contributed to continous dangerous air pollution from the petro-chemical factories nearby.

The situation of public transportion in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area is very poor, according to a series of articles.

The damage that poor public transportion cause to the economy is enormous. Time lost for every citizen is accumulated into millions of hours each year. But it seems that none of the politicians is raising his glove, and we hear about a record year of cars sales, traffic congestion and endless new highways.

Israel need a 'Singapore Program'. Singapore has limited land resources and its civil leaders understood that they can not allow uncontrolled construction, that will prevent them from developing human resources properly. Therefore they have enforced strict rules in the field of environmental protection. Singapore is now a symbol and an international role model, but there is no political party in Israel which adopts this symbol.

There are many Insufficient government authorities in Israel, such as National Land Administration, currently undergoing a paradoxical  reform for privatizing state lands on one side and creating a unit for maintaining land resources on the other.

Preserving and maintaining the very limited land resources of Israel requires people of military stature, generals who will conduct the campaign against the territorial terrorism.  

They'll have to deal with the issues of enforcement of planning and building laws in a military disciplined manner. There should be headquarters, intelligence, forces, spokesmen and so on, as in any orgenized army.

Earth is an irreplaceable resource.

Islamic law is structured for political expansion

In religious Islam there is a built in system of political expansion, as part of the 'Sharia' [The full set of Islamic laws]. This political expansion result from the demographic spread of believers.

Judaism gave up the missionary role. Christianity and Buddhism are religions of faith alone, and they do not try to enforce their laws on the other and in everyday life.

In contrast to Christianity and Buddhism, Judaism and Islam are both dogmatic religions which pretend to give a religious answer to every facet of life.

But unlike the Jews, who wherever they were in exile dreamed only of the Holy Land as the realization of all their political aspirations, the aims of every Muslim who emigrated from his muslim state is to establish the Islamic state wherever he resides. This wish is fulfilled in implicit regulated process, step by step in a pre-programmed method, using specific set of religous laws known as the 'Dawa', together with the apparent desire to spread the Islamic faith.

What are the implications of this conclusion on the daily lives of Israeli citizens?

The answer is: a 'dog eat dog'.

Islam in Europe

From the article: "You shall inherit the continent of Europe: built-in Muslim ideology or reality of life?" 

By: Leah Kinberg, Moshe Dayan Center. 

The author describes very well the subject but lacks the conclusion: The direct political significance of the set of religous laws used by the muslim immigrants, referred to as 'Dawa', is an organized conspiracy striving to establish an Islamic state wherever they come.

"... The rationale underlying the Muslims to non-Muslim migration commandments, imposed as an act on migrants as representatives of religion, is to be role models and instill in their hosts the will to convert to Islam. That make the social phenomenon of migration a tool of preaching and proselytizing for Islam, or 'Dawa'. 'Dawa' is displayed as a duty incumbent on every Muslim who lives in a non-Muslim country and its purposes are to rally the ranks of the Muslim minority, mutual aid and preaching the way of behavior which can serve as an example and become a role model ... Just as Muslims will follow the Islamic 'Jihad' [religous conquering] as long as needed, that is as long as there are parts of a non-Muslim world, so the 'Hajra' [Imigration by all means] from the homeland will continue, accordingly the 'Dawa' [customs of immigrants] which justifies the 'Hajra' will not stop. This argument gives 'Dawa' dimensions which are not depended on time and place. As long as the world exists, it is commanding the Muslim believer to live according to the laws of his religion, to spread the religion, strengthen and expand, and thereby fulfill the most important aspect of the 'Jihad' ... Muslims living in Europe ... many of them born and raised in Europe ... all of them must represent the religion - A Muslim doctor in the hospital is merely representative of Islam, so are the engineer, the merchant, worker, student, they are all representatives of Islam ... Islam's way is through the dominant influencing of the 'Sharia' or by logging into politics - participation in elections and in fact in many cases both options go hand in hand ... "

Ariel Segal measures the 'blood pressure' in France. Europe knows that Jihad volunteers can return from their camps of rape and death in Syria and Iraq to enable continous terrorisim in the continent which tried to take them in. The groundwork for celebrations of Jihadism in France and other European countries was laid by intellectuals, who opened the door for terrorism through post-modern discourse and multi-culturalism.

Islam in China

The Muslim minority in China is of, according to research estimates, about 20 million people. The beginning of the Muslim presence in China was already in the 8th century AD, when Arab and Persian traders who sought to develop trade by sea routes round India, settled on the shores of the eastern ports of China. With the increase in trading volume, port communities were formed around the Moslim faith. Their people, while married to local women, sustained community life separate and distinct from the local language, religion and dress.

Mongol takeover of China in the 13th century led to an increase and expansion of the Muslim community. Mongols brought to China many Muslim soldiers from Western and Central Asia, as well as clerical and administrative personnel (engineers, architects, artisans and farmers), helping them with sustaining the rule of the Yuan Dynasty. Open borders for trade and economic wellness have led to many Muslims crossing the areas to the north and the south west of China, where you can find a large concentration of them today. Their connections to the Mongol conquerors, their privileges and isolated neighborhoods and the confrontation of the major Han population with the Muslim officialdom, contributed to foster feelings of hostility and hatred towards Muslims. Stories from that period depict the muslim as cruel, greedy and as aggressive, capable of any crime.

Fall of the Mongols in 1368 and rise of the Ming Dynasty is considered a glorious period in the history of China. Various scholars see this period as a kind of watershed for the Muslims. Voluntary isolation imposed by the rulers and the begining of pressures, Chinafication presures on the community, led many Chinese Muslims to change their names, use the local language for trade and speech and reduce differnet style of construction (including mosques) and clothing. Distinct identity began to take shape among the Muslim minority of Muslims known as 'Hui'. For the Hui people congregations in China the mosque was used far more then for prayer. The place was a religious school, social center, a local conflicts court, office, and sometimes even martial arts learning center.

The 'Sufi' movement began to be felt in China towards the end of the 17th century. In trade routes from Central Asia came to China Muslim clerics, most of them foreigners from Yemen and Bukhara and some Muslims who returned to China after studies and pilgrimage in cities of the Arabian peninsula. These charismatic personalities appeared soon in Muslim centers in China (Xinjiang, Gansu, Shaanxi, Yunnan) and started to gather around them students and followers. During the 18th century many of the Hui joined them.

Followers of 'Sufi' movement had attributed its onset values to Prophet Muhammad who preached for them. Muhammad himself did not preach asceticism and the denial of aerial life in this world, but many traditions ascribed to him bans the follies of the world: drinking wine, silk garments and the use of gold and silver. Furthermore, the Qur'an called the believers not to sin, so as not to be punished on Judgment Day.

Sufi communities appearance and the formation of their orders sparked tensions with the Chinese government of Manchu dynasty. The connection of some of the Muslims to trade routes, as religous orders were used as part of the trading stations/hostels in addition to their religious activities, impeded supervision. The building block for such an order always begun with a charismatic religious leader, often of foreign origin, who when reached a Muslim demographic concentration began teaching Islam to a small group of students. It was a way to integrate into the local community and gain a broader group of believers. The larger the circle of believers became, they established a unique community, with an upgrade to a more institutionalized phase, including transition to the national level.

The circumstances of the emergence of the Sufi movement in China and its establishment largely conformed with the social and political conditions which were formed at the time of the Abbasid Caliphate. Therefore it relatively quickly adapted and transferred its organizational structure, operated in Central Asia, to the terms of the Chinese Empire. On the national level there were Sufis armed with a theoretical concept, terminology and techniques of leadership that were so lacking for the Hui. They have helped many of the Hui to consolidate confidence and unique identity, of independent Chinese-speaking Muslims against the Chinese attempt to make them Chinese Muslims.

Concepts to keep in mind

Sharia - Islamic law, which is the foundation of the Islamic state.

Jihad - struggle against the infidels commandments, which is an integral part of the Muslim faith.

Hijra - a substantial Muslim immigration, which is inevitable as a result of demographic growth.

Dawa - Code of Muslims laws abroad, which they must fulfill in full in any foreign country in which they settle.