All posts by nedhamson

Activist, writer, researcher, addicted to sharing information and facts.

ISIS recruitment in Turkey

turkeyetc

Sahin Aktan005

Şahin Aktan keeps a file to help him in his hunt for his ex-wife Svetlana, who took their three-year-old son Destan to live under ISIS rule in Syria’s Raqqa province in July. (Photograph by Fatih Pinar).

Last Friday Newsweek published an article by Alev Scott and I about recruitment by ISIS—the self-styled ‘Islamic State’—in Turkey, which has received substantial attention in the Turkish press.

We weren’t the first to write on this issue, and several other publications have run great stories on it in recent weeks. One of the most notable was Emily Feldman’s excellent article for Mashable, which examined ISIS recruitment in a single neighbourhood of Ankara, and goes into more detail than our own piece, in particular looking at the perception among many that they will enjoy a ‘better life’ under ISIS.

Feldman interviewed a man who has apparently spent time in Syria’s ISIS-controlled Raqqa province and intended to take his family…

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My tomatoes love the sun and warmth!

Nom, nom, nom – look good

giantveggiegardener

tomatoes ready for market Tomatoes ready for the Santa Fe Farmer’s market

Last week was warm and sunny-just what tomatoes need to ripen. Temperatures in the mid 80s. It’s a little cooler this week but still nice. Suddenly I have all kinds of tomatoes ripening-yea!

tomato lady at Santa Fe Farmer's Market

Up till last week I’ve barely had enough ripe ones to go to the Farmer’s Market much less make tomato sauce but now I have plenty to sell-just get there early as I sell out pretty early even with all these tomatoes. Here’s my booth at the Farmer’s Market. It is located inside the big building. Just look up for a big sign that says, ‘Tomato Lady’ to find me.

I noticed the number of ripe tomatoes have been growing here at my little farm and now they are exploding! Yea! I’m hoping for an Indian summer-that means the rest of September will be nice and warm which should…

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Jewish government supported extremists try to change status quo at Al-Aqsa – Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

JBWC – just because we can – this is the new Israeli policy and ideology of an occupier and attempting to do to Palestine and Islam what colonialist Britain could not do to either Ireland, or South Africa. Each week, Israeli actions become more and more provocative. The visits are longer, and the ban on Jewish prayers at the mosque compound are increasingly ignored. What began with Jewish visitors inaudibly mumbling a few words is becoming louder and louder. Most Jewish intruders wear prayer clothes, often under their regular clothes, which points to their intention of holding prayers on the mosque compound.

The peace treaty Jordan signed with Israel contains provisions on the protection of holy sites in Jerusalem. Jordan has confronted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the visits, but was told that no change had occurred to the status quo, in place since 1967. Jordan also signed an agreement with the Palestinian government regarding Jerusalem.

via Jewish extremists try to change status quo at Al-Aqsa – Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East.

Ebola: ‘In decades of humanitarian work, I’ve never seen such suffering’ | Comment is free | The Guardian

Each day this week patients have recovered – in the early stages there were no survivors whatsoever. Yesterday seven people went home, including a young man who had painted the inside of one of our tents red when he arrived because he was bleeding so profusely. Our team had thought he had no hope of survival. It is lovely to see the patients going home with their certificate of discharge, though most have lost family members or friends, and can face stigma upon their return.

via Ebola: ‘In decades of humanitarian work, I’ve never seen such suffering’ | Comment is free | The Guardian.

Queen’s radical plan for voters to think before voting ruled ‘unconstitutional’ | Pride’s Purge

“The UK has a long and proud tradition of not thinking about anything at all when it comes to voting. In fact not thinking before voting is one of the cornerstones of what has made Great Britain the country it is today and a massive change like that would be unprecedented. Such radical action would lead to all kinds of unforeseen problems and could tear apart the very fabric of British society.”

The controversy comes just weeks after the Home secretary Theresa May announced government plans to make Critical Thinking a class C drug.

via Queen’s radical plan for voters to think before voting ruled ‘unconstitutional’ | Pride’s Purge.

Queen’s radical plan for voters to think before voting ruled ‘unconstitutional’

Tom says it all

Pride's Purge

(satire?)

Thinking before voting in a UK election – as suggested by the Queen yesterday – would be unconstitutional, experts have agreed.

The Queen reportedly made the shocking suggestion – in reference to Thursday’s referendum on Scottish independence – after attending a Sunday morning church service at Crathie Kirk near her Balmoral estate.

However, constitutional experts unanimously agree that the idea of British people thinking before they voted would go against centuries of constitutional tradition.

One explained:

The UK has a long and proud tradition of not thinking about anything at all when it comes to voting. In fact not thinking before voting is one of the cornerstones of what has made Great Britain the country it is today and a massive change like that would be unprecedented. Such radical action would lead to all kinds of unforeseen problems and could tear apart the very fabric of British society.”

The controversy…

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Ebola outbreak: Malaysia sends W Africa medical gloves – BBC News

Malaysia plans to donate more than 20 million protective rubber gloves to five African countries affected by the Ebola outbreak, the government says.

They will be distributed among medical workers in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

via Ebola outbreak: Malaysia sends W Africa medical gloves – BBC News.