Free Republic

“Issac the traveler” as he is known on social media has so far walked almost 6,000 km and has now reached Kuwait. But the Spanish traveler of Algerian descent has about 1,356 km to go to reach the holy city of Makkah to perform Umrah. Umrah is a non-mandatory lesser pilgrimage made by Muslims to Makkah, which may be performed at any time of the year. From Paris - Issac’s starting point - the traveler took five months to reach Kuwait, passing through 16 countries. The only device he has with him to help him reach the goal is simply...

This week I want to talk with you about two extraordinary books that deal with the twin themes of survival and freedom. Was it fate? Kismet? The Luck of the Polish? Two outstanding books arrived at my house in the same week. Both recount true stories of hardship and survival in the Gulag of Soviet Russia. Both are told by Poles -- one Jewish, one not -- who patriotically fought the Nazi invaders in 1939 and for their trouble were arrested, tortured and jailed by the Soviets. Both lived to tell about it -- one escaped from a Siberian work...