Free Republic

In the message, which was titled “A Call to Arms,” Gadahn starts by telling jihadists to strike targets that are close to them. He repeats the al Qaeda doctrinal position that jihad is a personal, religiously mandated duty for every able-bodied Muslim. He then tells his audience that “it is for you, like your heroic Mujahid brother Nidal Hasan, to decide how, when and where you discharge this duty. But whatever you do, don’t wait for tomorrow to do what can be done today, and don’t wait for others to do what you can do yourself.” As the message progresses,...

Washington, DC…For most Americans, Election Day marks the end of the presidential selection process. At the National Archives, it is only the beginning. Most Americans know that the National Archives preserves historical documents such as the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. But a little known function of the National Archives is the administration of the Electoral College by the Office of the Federal Register. After Election Day the staff at the Federal Register ensure the complicated and sometimes confusing steps in the electoral process are followed exactly. In the weeks prior to the election,...

Some Afghan refugees returning home after years abroad are bringing back foreign ways -- the most controversial being the practice of temporary marriage. Temporary marriage, or sigha, is an agreement between a man and a women to get married for a specified time. It has long been practised by Shi'ite Muslims, especially in mostly Shi'ite Iran. Now, the practice is being imported into Afghanistan by some members of the minority Shi'ite community returning home from Iran, to the disapproval of many in conservative, mostly Sunni Afghanistan. "I don't want a permanent husband," said Fatima, a 34-year-old woman divorcee in the...

Three foreign nationals, including one Briton, have been kidnapped in the Afghan capital of Kabul. The three were United Nations staff working on the Afghan election.Early reports say that the trio are from Britain, the Philippines and Kosovo.

Report #1 (12/17/01) "We were informed today by the local municipality that we will be given formal notice next Tuesday or Wednesday that our church building is illegal (not conforming to local zoning laws) and that we will be given 7 days to bring ourselves into conformity or else be shut down! Two newly opened buildings in other provinces were sealed this week and a couple of Turkish pastors questioned about their status by Turkish security officers." "We were among the earliest fellowships to follow this process and have met openly for 10 years now, with full government awareness and ...