Gaza Quiets Down, Israel Opens Border Crossing, Egyptian Crossing Still Closed

Here is some good news for the ordinary people in Gaza.

Abbas Kamal senior Egyptian intelligence visited Tel Aviv on Wed

also to meet Mahmoud Abbas on Thurs (today) to discuss Gaza 

to discuss reconciliation between Hamas / Fatah, future of Gaza

PFLP expected to arrive in Cairo Thurs and join meetings

meetings in Israel follow previous clandestine meetings with Egypt

Netanyahu met al-Sisi secretly in Cairo in May to discuss Gaza

Netanyahu traveled to Cairo on May 22

Sisi solution to Gaza “runs through” return of Palestinian Authority to Gaza

and taking responsibility for the Strip 

Sisi, Israel, Arab world to press Abbas to return to Gaza, even though he is opposed

Israel Egypt clandestine meetings over the years

security, intelligence ties as close as they have ever been

relative quiet in Gaza led Israel to open Kerem Shalom on Wed

trucks bringing supplies into Gaza

crossing closed since mid-July

Hamas quiet will be met by Israeli quiet 

return to arrangement existed in 2014

quiet was brokered by Egypt and the UN

My comments : There does appear to be a time table in place here that is moving forward, with or without the agreement of key Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah. 

The Egyptians, Israelis, Saudis and others are deciding what is best for the West Bank and Gaza Palestinians.  Simply because they have not been able to sort things out despite so much time having been wasted.

Moral of the Story : If you dont know how to take care of your country, others from the outside will come and do it for you.

Egypt wants Fatah / Mahmoud Abbas to take over the Gaza, now run by Hamas (aka Muslim Brotherhood / Ikhwan Muslimin).

A big chapter is closing in the Middle East. I will not be visiting the Middle East perhaps ever.

Other Strange Things In Khalifah Erdogan's Domain

Turkey's Child Brides

https://www.meforum.org/articles/2018/child-brides-in-turkey

Where would you like your daughter to be when she is 13? 

In school, or in bed with a grown man? 

The answer to this question is largely beyond argument in much of the world. 

In Islamic societies, however -- including Turkey -- the answer is anyone's guess. 

the government does not fight the tradition; instead Turkey supports it:

40% girls under 18 forced into marriage (according to Turkish Philanthropy Funds)

In January 2018, Erdoğan govt suggested 9 yr girls and 12 yr boys could marry.

"Low education" means almost all of Turkey 

average schooling in country is 6.5 years.

Turkey's Islamist ex president, Abdullah Gül, ally of Erdoğan 

married 15 year old wife Hayrünnisa

At age 30 Gul married 15 yr old bride

Conservative Turks cheered Gul's rise to presidency

Turkish Philanthropy Funds (TPF) says 40% of girls under 18 forced into marriage

Turkish national average of female high school dropouts 56%

early marriage in families with low education level

"Low education" means almost all of Turkey

average schooling is mere 6.5 years

In 45 Turkish provinces, schooling rate is below average

Islamist rule added to problem of child brides 

Nov 2017 Erdoğan signed "mufti law" 

allows imams to conduct marriage 

concerns about (more) child marriage

Jan 2018, Diyanet suggested 9 yr girls, 12 yr boys could marry

Diyanet responsible for administering religious institutions 

3 million Syrian refugees made things worse

115 pregnant underage girls between Jan. 1 and May 9, 2017.

"tip of the iceberg" 

My comments :  While the Quran is a super modern and super contemporary document, Muslims generally DO NOT follow the Quran.

Instead the Muslims all over the world follow their gurus and religious authorities who are sectarian who themselves follow strange extra Quranic ideas.

Because of this deviation from the Quran the Islamic societies as a whole suffer malfunction and aberrant behaviour.

It looks like in Turkey their problems are more serious than  just their economic crisis or their crashing currency.

Just another Islamic country on its way to the Club of Doom.

Who Are The Victims Of The Crime?

From The Star Online

The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) has denounced the Terengganu Syariah Court's decision on August 12 to sentence two women to six strokes of caning each for attempted lesbian relations because such punishment is humiliating and demeaning.

"Such punishment is humiliating, demeaning and an attempt to publicly embarrass the women and their families, which is against the fundamental notion of human dignity, not dissimilar to the commitment to dignity which is imbued in all religions," said Suhakam in a statement.

"Suhakam reiterates that caning in any setting violates the absolute prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment under international law. 

"The interpretation of punishment in religion applied historically cannot ignore evolutions of society and standards, as well as the inexorable passage of civilization," it added.

image: https://content.thestar.com.my/smg/settag/name=lotame/tags=all,Demo_Age_18to24_enr,Demo_Age_55to64_enr,Demo_Age_45to54_enr,Demo_Age_35to44_enr,Demo_Age_25to34_enr,Demo_Age_65plus_enr

Suhakam also urged the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community to "exercise temperance and moderation", and to keep their lifestyles private in "a society that is only beginning to take into account diversified choices".

"Suhakam understands that this position is less than ideal, but necessary in the religious and cultural context of Malaysia," said Suhakam.

Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/08/15/suhakam-denounces-terengganu-caning-sentence-on-two-lesbians/#1wjGrdGcqJHCST3g.99