3200 Police and millions of dollars later...

Despite worries about chaos and gridlock, the Michael Jackson public memorial went off without a hitch, with the Los Angeles Police Department saying it didn't make a single arrest.

The department deployed 3,200 officers today in its biggest deployment since the 1984 Olympics but they were hardly needed as fewer than 1,000 fans appeared on the streets outside the Staples Center area.

“We drove home the message that people were better off watching at home, there was nothing to see,” Chief William J. Bratton said. “It was all about good planning and good coordination.”

Bratton said the 3,200 officers were planned for because it is a lot easier to downsize when nothing occurs than call in additional officers when trouble breaks out.

Bratton said that as it became obvious that fans had stayed home, deployment was dropped to 1,000 officers. The crowds were small beyond Staples Center, where predictions of streets filled with fans had come in the days running up to the memorial.

“We had 1,000 to 600 people on the Staples Center perimeter,” Deputy Chief Sergio Diaz said. “We are very happy.”

I have been watching his "Memorial Concert" on and off for the entire day. Not one word about salvation or where he is now or even about God (what a platform that could have been!). Instead, silly talk about the "King of Pop" and the way he entertained us and how he touched us. What a waste. All his money and his songs and his dance routines can’t help him. He probably once was a Christian by default in his youth and then became a Jehovah’s Witness. But he never professed his faith then and never publicly said anything like the sinner's prayer. And salvation by the Grace of Jesus Christ is the way to heaven in Christianity. He converted to Islam about a year ago. In Islam, it is good deeds vs bad deeds on the way to get into heaven. Allah measures your good deeds (mostly toward other Muslims) against your bad deeds. But no one knows what quota on the Islamic scale tips it in your balance (except dying in jihad fighting infidels which obviously did not happen). Was Michael Jackson a good Muslim? Hard to quantify his deeds. I do know that a good Muslim has some work to do upon death. He needs to be buried quickly (always within a day and it STILL has not happened yet), washed in a mosque and have a quiet and low key burial (I know - yeah, right). And he better answer some questions correctly or he is going to feel the heat! From: http://studentwebs.coloradocollege.edu/~l_jenkins/islam.htm Pre-Burial Rules and Rituals In the Islam religion, it is customary to begin processes for burying the dead within 24 hours of the death. In non-Muslim countries, this can sometimes be a problem if the death occurs on a weekend or a holiday, when a death certificate can not be attained, and therefore the process cannot start. It begins with a ritual washing of the body; men washing men's bodies and women washing women's bodies. Either a man or woman may wash a child's body, and a husband is allowed to wash his wife's body, and vise-versa, if the need arises. It is preferred that the body is washed by close friends or relatives, rather than hospital staff or undertakers. Imams (prayer leaders of mosques) may also wash men, as well as midwifes may also wash females. Washing was traditionally done at the graveside, and still is if facilities are available. However, it is more common now to perform this in a mosque, which often has special sections for this purpose. The entire body is then wrapped in a funeral shroud made of clean, white cloth, tied at the head and the feet. Typical funeral prayers include saying "Allāhu Akbar" which means "God is Great," followed by the mourners folding their hands on their chests. The site of the grave is also very important in the Islam religion. Additionally, both cremation and embalming are forbidden in the Muslim faith, and the practice of burying at sea is only allowed if absolutely necessary. The grave itself should be aligned on a northeast to southwest axis, facing Mecca. From http://www.truthnet.org/islam/Islam-Bible/4Islambeliefs/index.htm According to Islam, life continues in the grave after the body is buried. Life in the grave is known as Barzakh. According to Islamic tradition, while in the grave, two angels question the newly dead. Their names are Munkar and Nakir. They ask the person three questions: 1. Who is your God? 2. Who is your prophet? 3. What is your faith? If the person answers correctly -- Allah, Islam and Muhammad -- the angels will make the grave more comfortable. They open a window where the view and orders of paradise can be enjoyed. For those who do not answer correctly, a window to hell will be opened, their grave will narrow, their ribs are crushed as they feel the heat and hot winds of hell. This will continue while the person awaits judgment. Only those who die in Jihad will go directly to Paradise. Torment in the grave is clearly taught in Islam, especially in the traditions of the prophet. So by Christian or Muslim standards, where is he?

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