World News & Views - Nov. 2005

...A new British study confirms what many have said for years -- a mother is the best caretaker for her children. The study by British childcare expert Penelope Leach contends that the social and emotional development of children cared for by someone other than their mother "is definitely less good." Denise Kanter heads a California-based organization called Considering Homeschooling Ministry, an outreach of the Morningstar Educational Network. She notes Leach's study is not the first to come to that conclusion. "What's happening is the press doesn't [typically] pick ... up [such reports]," Kanter observes. "So the fact that this made headlines is very exciting for us, because I think the public needs to know that, yes, children are better off emotionally and academically when they're brought up by their parents." The British study found that babies and toddlers fared worst when they were given group nursery care.

...Aid workers with the Southern Baptist Convention are assisting survivors of the recent killer earthquake in Pakistan. It is estimated that more than 80,000 people died when the earthquake hit October 8 on the Pakistan-India border. SBC missionaries have been in the area for years and are able to use their contacts and knowledge of the local customs and languages to bring aid to those in need. One SBC worker, who cannot be identified because of security concerns, says conditions are desperate. "So many of the people are homeless," he says. "You're seeing videos on television -- that's exactly what's happened here. All those homes are down; people are just hunkered under trees and whatever kind of shelter they can find." The Southern Baptist worker says as many tents as possible are being purchased and provided to those left homeless so they at least have some kind of shelter for their protection. No Southern Baptists serving in Asia were hurt in the earthquake and its immediate aftermath.

...Legislation that will try to deal with the United Nations and its anti-American attitude is before Congress once again. The U.N. Accountability Act of 2005 is making the rounds in Congress and may be debated soon. Cliff Kincaid of America's Survival wants to see the White House get behind the bill. "One of the big failures of this administration has been to follow through on actions relating to the U.N.," he says, adding that making John Bolton the United States' ambassador to the U.N. was a wise move, but will not get the job done. He asserts that "the only real language that the U.N. understands is cutting off their money." The U.N. Accountability Act would cut foreign aid dollars to any nation that votes against the U.S. more than 50 percent of the time.

...An immigration reform activist says illegal aliens from Mexico are doing more than just finding work in the United States. A growing number, he says, are converting to Islam. Several media reports have revealed that in Mexico and throughout Latin America Islam is making dramatic strides in its evangelism efforts among the native population. In addition, according to Susan Tully of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), a growing number of Mexicans living in the U.S. illegally are making Islam their religion of choice. "There's been a number of reports out recently that the most quickly converting group of people in the United States to Islam have been illegal alien Mexicans," she states. And Tully says there have been some overt pro-terrorist demonstrations by Mexican nationals. She cites one example. "When the United States played Mexico in soccer, and America was ahead or doing well in the game, the Mexican crowd was chanting 'Osama, Osama, Osama!'" she says. "And after 9-11, when we saw the film in Mexico City, Mexicans were cheering that America had been bombed." Tully says there is evidence that some Mexican Islamic converts have been involved in subversive activity that even has the Mexican government worried.

...A prominent conservative military pundit feels it is unfortunate that a former U.S. Marine captain has decided to take a job with a new English language version of the Arabic television network Al Jazeera. According to USA Today, Captain Josh Rushing decided to take the $70,000-a-year job rather than stay in the Marine Corps. Al Jazeera gained worldwide attention following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, when the channel began broadcasting numerous video messages that featured radical Islamic leaders such as Osama bin Laden and other Al Qaeda members. Captain Rushing's decision has already sparked criticism from a number of individuals who believe Al Jazeera is nothing more than a propaganda tool for Al Qaeda. Retired Army Lt. Colonel Bob Maginnis is one of these critics. "Al Jazeera is certainly an instrument of Al Qaeda and a lot of the other terrorist operations," he says. But while it may be disconcerting that Al Jazeera will soon be broadcasting out of Washington, D.C., Maginnis notes, it cannot be much worse than what he saw on C.N.N. International on a recent visit to Europe. "Their spin is just as heinous as Al Jazeera," he asserts, "and yet they operate out of Atlanta, Georgia." The new English-language Al Jazeera channel is expected to be on the air by spring. Rushing says he will represent the best of what America stands for to a foreign audience, and he considers his decision to work for Al Jazeera to be noble -- not seditious. [Chad Groening]

Court won't let Temple Mount group lay 'cornerstone' of Third Temple
The High Court of Justice on Sunday rejected a request by the Temple Mount Faithful to place what the organization said was the cornerstone of the Third Temple next to the Western Wall, Israel Radio reported.

The court also rejected a request by the group to visit the Temple Mount after 9 A.M. during the week-long Sukkot holiday, which begins Monday night. The organization says its goal is to build the Third Temple on the Temple Mount and to liberate the Temple Mount from "Arab occupation."

The justices said they feared clashes because Sukkot coincides this year with the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which has become a time of increased attacks by suicide bombers in addition to being a month of fasting and introspection.

The court rejected the petitioner's contention that the ruling was a form of capitulation to terrorism, saying the verdict represented a balanced approach.