An AusAID examination has concluded there is no evidence to support claims by the Israel Law Center (Shurat HaDin) that funding through World Vision Australia to a Palestinian NGO, the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) was in violation of section 21 of the Charter of the United Nations Act, 1945.

The claims relate to alleged links between UAWC and a proscribed terrorist organisation, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

Senator Carr said he would be as swift as anyone in cutting aid to any organisation that was a front for terrorists.

“But this organisation is officially registered in Israel itself.

“It is not banned by Israel or declared a terrorist organisation by the Israelis.

“Taking into account the thorough nature of AusAID’s examination and advice from AGS that no offence has been identified, the AFP has advised it would not accept this matter for further investigation.”

Senator Carr said that the work of World Vision helps raise Palestinians from hunger and poverty.

“That can only reduce the capacity of terrorists to win recruits.”

The UAWC has received support from a number of donor governments and international aid organisations including Oxfam (Great Britain, Italy, Belgium), Norwegian People’s Aid, FAO, the Japanese Government, the Netherlands Government, the European Union, Catholic Relief Services and Save the Children.

The UAWC has helped deliver plant and seedling nurseries to provide food security and help more than 1,000 low-income households in the West Bank and Gaza.

Aid to the UAWC commenced under the Howard Government in 2005 and was renewed by then Foreign Minister Alexander Downer.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Bob Carr said the Israel Law Center had provided information to AusAID on April 11, 2012 in support of its claim.

“I understand the material provided by the Israel Law Center has been carefully examined by AusAID in consultation with other agencies including the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation,” Senator Carr said.

Since 1996 UAWC has been registered as a not-for-profit organisation with the Israeli Ministry of Justice. This registration was most recently renewed on 5 March 2012.

Regular reporting by UAWC and World Vision, and regular monitoring by AusAID, confirm that appropriate due diligence and fiduciary risk management processes are being implemented by World Vision.

This provides direct assurance that project funding from AusAID through World Vision is not being used to support terrorists but is being spent on agreed, high priority development activities.

 Minister’s Office:      02 6277 7500  or  0435 658 623
AusAID:          0417 680 590

It is a well-known scientific fact and a proven reality that animals who are carnivorous predators do not hunt and kill their prey unless they are hungry and not because they love to kill or find a pleasure in hunting. These animals do not torture their prey but kill them on the spot within few minutes.

Based on these realities it is a deadly sin and a cowardly encroachment against every and each human value, faith, covenant and principle to say that those armed murderers (the "Shabeha"-Assad's family�s armed thugs, mercenaries, professional murderers and militias) who committed the Houla massacre in Syria last Friday are acting like animals. It is not fair at all and under any given reasons or circumstances to even relate their barbaric and savage acts to animals, or otherwise we would be genuinely and purposely insulting animals.

One can't really imagine or believe that there are still human beings in this 21st century who are actually vampires and Draculas, much, much worse than what was depicted in the 1897 novel, "Count Dracula" by the Irish author, Bram Stoker. Watching this scary and disgusting amateur video will display those real and actual human vampires and Draculas in action. What a shame on the free and civilized world to watch and just do nothing to forcefully topple the Syrian dictatorship and rescue the Syrian people.

Click on the link below, sign in to prove that you are 18 or older and watch (an amateur video) what the whole world is talking about, but just talking and doing nothing except issuing comedic and ineffective denouncement releases as well as toothless and sarcastic sanctions.
http://www.youtube.com/verify_age?next_url=/watch%3Fv%3DASi9wrUJc%26feature%3Dyoutu.be

Last Friday, 110 Syrian citizens were tortured and mutilated beyond all human imagination and then they were slaughtered like sheep. This barbaric crime took place in Syria's west-central area of Houla on the hands of Al-Assad regime "Shabeha" thugs in cold blood, and with dead conscience, numbed hearts and indescribable brutality.

The victims as per UN observers' reports were 50 children, 35 women and 20 elderly men. This gruesome massacre was denounced rhetorically by the UN General Council and the majority of the countries all over the world including Canada, but sadly nothing yet has been practically done on the ground to stop the Syrian regime from murdering its own people that has been mercilessly continuing on a daily basis for the last 15 months. According to the UN, 13.000 have been killed, 50.000 detained and thousands have disappeared with no knowledge of their fate.

Even the murderers themselves, their bloody leadership and criminal allies (the Syrian regime, Iranian mullahs, the Hezbollah terrorist organization) have issued statements of denouncement stupidly alleging that the Syrian revolutionists, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have committed this horrible crime and not them.

In an evil act of humiliation to the whole world, the Al-Assad dictatorial regime with extreme insolence and audacity has announced that it is has started a massive investigation campaign and that all those accountable for the crime will be put on trial to dearly pay for their atrocities.

Meanwhile, special UN and Arab League envoy Kofi Annan visited Syria on Monday and met with its criminal leadership, but there was nothing he could do except count the victims, uttering empty warnings and engaging in fruitless, Babylonian and endless talks. The same inept stance also applies to the Arab League and to all the Arab countries, as well as to neighboring Turkey which has loudly voiced many threats but never yet put any of them into action.

It is worth mentioning that the brutal Syrian regime has been in power for the last 42 years with the help, support and financing of the Western world, Iran, Arab countries and Russia. It was allowed to freely occupy neighboring Lebanon for 30 years and to slaughter its people, force them to leave their country, and destroy all its institutions. It was the Syrian regime that helped Iran to form the terrorist Hezbollah armed Shiite militia and to erect its ministate. It was also the Syrian regime turned the 17 Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon into ministates. Meanwhile, the majority of worldwide terrorist groups, fundamentalist Salafists and Islamists were hatched, trained, used and exported by the notorious Stalinist and Nazi Syrian Secret Intelligence bodies.

It is time for the UN, Free World and Arab countries to speak about "force" and military intervention, the only language that Al-Assad and his thugs will understand and respond to. Force MUST be utilized sooner and not later to topple the brutal Syrian regime and rescue the victimized Syrian people as was the situation with Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, etc. Meanwhile, it doesn�t matter who is going to rule Syria after the Al -Assad era is over because in reality nothing could be worse than this Stone Age dictatorship.

In conclusion, there will be no peace in the Middle East and a reasonable and acceptable long-lasting solution for the Arab-Israeli conflict unless the Syrian butchering regime is toppled, as well as all the other dictatorships in the region which survive on hostility, enmity, hatred and fanaticism

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Bob Carr today announced Australia would support additional teachers and doctors for Palestinian refugees in the Middle East, with a $90 million funding agreement to be signed with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in Canberra this afternoon.

The agreement would provide the $90m in overseas aid to be distributed by UNRWA over five years, supporting education and medical care for Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

The agreement would be signed by Senator Carr and UNRWA Commissioner General Mr Filippo Grandi in Canberra today.

"More than 1.4 million Palestinians live in recognised refugee camps in the Middle East, including those fleeing ongoing violence in Syria," Senator Carr said.

"The total number of Palestinian refugees in the region could exceed five million.

"Today's funding agreement means more Palestinian children will go to school, and more doctors will be supported to work in refugee camps and Palestinian communities.

"That's good news on humanitarian grounds, and good news for Middle Eastern regional stability."

Senator Carr said while Australia's first priority was always its own citizens, there was room for wealthy countries to also do their part in fighting poverty overseas.

Since 2007, Australian aid has:

UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the UN General Assembly in 1949 to provide assistance and protection to registered Palestine refugees. Australia has provided over $119 million to UNRWA since 2000, to deliver education, health, housing and infrastructure services to Palestinian refugees.

Minister's Office: 02 6277 7500

The members of The Australian Egyptian Forum Council in Sydney, Australia deplore, and express their objection to, the current presidential campaigns of some of the presidential candidates and the current political environment in Egypt. They strongly oppose any presidential candidate who calls upon the people of Egypt to vote for him in the name of religion and who claims that “if anyone who does not do so will not go to heaven”.

The Australian Egyptian Forum Council calls upon the current Egyptian Military Council, the current Egyptian Parliament (Majlis al-Sha’b and Majlis al-Shurah) to forbid such practice and to police all voting places in order to stop Candidates and their supporters from influencing and manipulating people’s votes.

The Australian Egyptian Forum Council also requets the Egyptian Military Council to appoint female supervisors to supervise and positively identify women who are wearing BOURKA when entering the polling places to cast their votes unless they agree to remove the covers off their faces so they can be easily identified by the polling places inspectors or judges.

The Australian Egyptian Forum Council is a non political group which cares about the future of Egypt and which would like to see Egypt once more occupying a leading role in the Middle East as was the case before.

God bless Egypt and the people of Egypt.

The ceremony at the University was one of the highlights of a day of visits to sites across the country.

“This Honorary Doctorate from a renowned university honours the relationship between the people of NSW and the people of Lebanon, as much as it does any individual. It is therefore particularly humbling to receive it,” Mr O’Farrell said.

“I sincerely hope that my current visit to Lebanon conveys the high esteem in which the Government and people of NSW hold the Lebanese community, and reflects my desire to foster an even closer and more productive relationship, including in the field of education.

“As Premier of NSW, I encourage and support efforts to increase educational links between universities in my state and in Lebanon. I urged the fine staff and alumni gathered to work towards that goal,” Mr O’Farrell said.

Earlier in the day Mr O’Farrell also toured the Khalil Gibran Museum and visited the Qozhya Monastery. He also visited the villages of Bcharre and Al Minie where he met with local mayors and community leaders.
 
"Many Lebanese immigrants to Australia hail from these regions and, although they have returned to their homeland, they maintain strong ties with New South Wales.
 
“These immigrants brought with them the very best that Lebanon had to offer – the generosity and warmth of the Lebanese people, as well as the innovation and trade savvy of their Phoenician ancestors.

“I was delighted to meet people in these villages who have visited New South Wales to see their family and friends and have been left with such a positive impression of our State,” Mr O’Farrell said.

On his final day in Lebanon, Mr O’Farrell met the President, His Excellency General Michel Sleiman, the Prime Minister His Excellency Mr Najib Mikati, and the Speaker of the Parliament His Excellency Nabih Berri.

The Premier closed his tour of Lebanon by attending a Presidential Lunch, also attended by the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and Information Minister.

MEDIA: Marie Scoutas 9228 5239

The Leader

LABOR MLC for Rockdale and councillor of 16 years, Shaoquett Moselmane, announced his resignation from the council yesterday.

The council will apply to Local Government Minister Don Page for an order that the vacancy left by councillor Moselmane's resignation not be filled until the local government elections in September.

Councils can make such applications where a vacancy occurs 18 months before an election.

Cr Moselmane has been an Australian Labor Party member for 28 years.

He has held several posts in local branches, including secretary and president of the Rockdale State Electorate Council.

A lawyer, Cr Moselmane said it was an "honour and a privilege" to have served the people of Rockdale as a councillor and mayor.

He has been a councillor at Rockdale for 16 years, since 1995, including four terms as mayor, most recently in 2009.

He stepped down from the mayoralty after his appointment to the NSW upper house.

Cr Moselmane said that he would continue to serve the people of Rockdale in his capacity as a state upper house MP.

Among his achievements, Cr Moselmane included protesting against the M5 east ventilation stack, council rate rises and assisting Arncliffe resident Joan Coleman, 94, to fight against closure of Arncliffe's Commonwealth Bank branch.

He said he was resigning from the council to make way for the new councillors who would be elected in the state's upcoming local government elections.

"When I stepped down as mayor I made sure there would not be a by-election," Cr Moselmane said.

Foreign Minister Bob Carr today met visiting Lebanese Member of Parliament, Samy Gemayel in Canberra.

This follows the visit by Lebanese President Sleiman last month, the first official visit to Australia by an incumbent President of Lebanon.

Senator Carr said he had long standing links with the Lebanese community during his 20 years as a political leader in NSW.

Senator Carr said he and Mr Gemayel discussed the long-standing and warm relationship between Australia and Lebanon.

Mr Gemayel is the son of former Lebanese President Amin Gemayel.

“As Premier of New South Wales I developed a strong relationship with the Lebanese community.

“The Australian-Lebanese community in Australia is large with around 350,000 Australians of Lebanese origin and 75,000 Lebanese-born people residing in Australia.

“Australians of Lebanese descent have made significant contributions to Australian society, including NSW Governor Professor Marie Bashir and Australia Post CEO Ahmed Fahour.

“During our meeting, Mr Gemayel also highlighted the current regional challenges faced by Lebanon, in particular, his concerns about the situation in southern Lebanon as events in Syria unfold,” Senator Carr said.

During President Sleiman’s visit in April, Prime Minister Gillard announced a $1 million contribution to support de-mining activities in Lebanon and an additional contribution of $73,500 to the National Visiting Professional Program at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

Lebanese proverb: "If you do not have an elderly figure in your house to bless you, go and search for one"

How true is this saying, because there will be no value, or meaning for our lives if not blessed and flavored by the wisdom, love and blessings of our parents and of other elder members in our families. He who does not honor the elderly in his family, especially his own parents is a person with a hardened heart, numbed conscience, no faith, no self respect and  no gratitude.

History teaches us that the easiest route for destroying a nation is to destroy, its cornerstone, the family. Once the family code of respect is belittled and not honored, the family is divided and loses all its Godly blessings. "Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and a house divided against itself falls" (Luke 11-17"

One very important concept and an extremely wise approach MUST apply and prevail when reading the Holy Bible in a bid to understand its contents and observe the Godly instructions and life guidelines that are enlisted. The concept needs to be a faith one with an open frame of mind free from doubts, questioning and challenges. 

Meanwhile the approach and interpretation MUST both be kept within the abstract manner, thinking and mentality frame, and not in  the concrete way of thinking and interpretation.

We read in (Matthew 15/04: "For God said, Respect your father and your mother, and If you curse your father or your mother, you are to be put to death).

Do we have to read this verse concretely and take it merely in its verbatim content?

I posted this verse in both English and Arabic on my Face Book page and the kind of comments that it generated shocked me. Below are three of these comments:

1-"I pray that this does not apply to teenagers?"

2-"Who else would it apply to? From teenagers to adults to parents...Until their own parents die; then they weep and wail"

3- "Thank goodness because I think we would all be dead if it applied to teenagers at some point, just learning about the "teenage years" with my oldest"

This verse simply dwells on The Fifth Biblical Commandment: "Honor your Father and Mother". To grasp its meaning rightfully and put it in its right faith content one should understand that death in the Bible is not the death of the body as we experience and see on earth. DEATH in the Bible means the SIN that leads to eternal anguish in Hell.

The Bible teaches us that through His crucifixion, death and resurrection Jesus defeated death in its ancient human, earthly concept. He broke the death thorn and since than, the actual death became the sin. Those who commit the sin die and on the judgment day are outcast to the eternal fire. Death for the believers is a temporary sleep on the hope of resurrection.

Accordingly the verse "If you curse your father or your mother, you are to be put to death", means that those who do not honor their parents, help, support and respect them commit a deadly sin and God on the Judgment Day will make them accountable if they do not repent and honor their parents.

God is a Father, a loving, passionate and caring One, and in this context He made the honoring of parents one of the Ten Commandments.

Below are three Biblical verses that dwell on the Fifth Commandment

1-�Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.� (Exodus 20:12)

2-�Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God commanded you, so that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.� (Deuteronomy 5:16)

3-�You shall each revere your mother and father, and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.� (Leviticus 19:3)

In conclusion: The abstract and faith interpretation of  Matthew 15/04 verse must not be related to children or teenagers who because of an age and maturity factors might temporarily repel against their parents and disobey them.

Hopefully, each and every one of us, no matter what religion or denomination he/she is affiliated to will never ever ignore his parents and commit the deadly SIN of not honoring them through every way and mean especially when they are old and unable to take care of themselves.

Bishop AbiKaram blesses the mission of President Kayrouz and his new team
The Maronite Catholic Society Executive held its first meeting on Tuesday in order to distribute the various Executive responsibilities in accordance with its constitution and determine the way forward in the service of the Maronite community both in Australia and Lebanon.
The result was as follows:
President: Toufic Kayrouz
First Vice-President: Ghassan Awit
Second Vice-President: Antoine Doueihi
General-Secretary: Raymond Abi Arraj
Deputy General-Secretary: Toufic Laba
Treasurer: Ghassan Hatem
Assistant Treasurer: Ray Wehbe
Advisor: Chafic Saade
Advisor: Pierre Salame
Chair - Information Committee: Camille Harb
Chair- Social Committee: Joe Peter Khoury
Chair- Youth Committee: Nelson Semaan
Immediate Past President: Samir Azzi
Founding President: Joe Metledge

Immediately after the announcement of the final result, President-elect Toufic Kayrouz and the Executive Committee visited the Maronite Eparchy in Strathfield, and were warmly received by Bishop AbiKaram, head of the Maronite Catholic Church in Australia.
The meeting was an opportunity for the new president to thank his grace for his continued support for the Society and to reach out and extend his sincere appreciation to all the Maronite parishes – priests, monks and nuns, promising to communicate and cooperate with all of them in order to uphold and support the Maronite community.
And specifically from “Beit Maroun” President Kayrouz chose to thank all those who carried on the presidency of the MCS, starting from the founding President Joe Metledge up till the immediate past President Samir Kazzi, in addition to all the members without exception, since its inception 25 years ago.
Bishop Abikaram stressed the importance of the Maronite Catholic Society and the role it plays as he explained his ambitious vision for the new Executive to adopt and put down to action in the coming year. He went on to offer important suggestions to President Kayrouz which will assist the youth and future generations in preserving their”Maroniteness”. The Arabic language, in his view, is the vehicle which carries this rich heritage and forms the bridge of communication with their predecessors and ancestors.
At the end of the meeting, memorial photos were taken. His Lordship then blessed their mission as they set out to serve their community both in Australia and Lebanon.
For more information, please contact: Toufic Kayrouz on 0414293978 or Raymond Abi-Arraj on 0413069004

Issued by Raymond Abi-Arraj
General- Secretary - Maronite Catholic Society
Sydney – 10 May 2012