US Secretary of State, H. Clinton, wants the UN Security Council to “send a clear message of support to the people of Syria”.

i.e. to get rid of President Bashar al-Assad and have him replaced by somebody else.

Who else?

Recent history shows that each time the US and its Western friends involve themselves in the internal affairs of Middle Eastern nations, things get worse.

* * *

President Obama praised last year’s Egyptian uprising saying it reflected the people’s yearning for “a government that is fair and just and responsive.”

What did they get? A People’s Assembly dominated by the “Freedom and Justice Party” — the Muslim Brotherhood under another name.

15 million Coptic Christians live in fear — killed on the streets, their women abducted.

In Libya, thousands of NATO air strikes resulted in — what?

A National Transitional Council whose draft constitution states that “Islam is the religion of the state and the principal source of legisation is Islamic jurisprudence (i.e. Sharia Law)”.

Already polygamy has been re-legalised.

* * *

If Bashar al-Assad goes, the Sunnis will take over Syria.

There will be a blood-bath.

(see this blog, 10 December 2011 and 13 June 2011)

Bashar al-Assad. President of Syria, denies responsibility for the killing of many (some say 4000) anti-government activists in recent months.

He claims that hundreds of police and soldiers have been killed by the “peaceful” protesters.

The “protests” in Tunis, Egypt and Libya in the last year or two seem to have done nobody much good.

Their net result may well turn out to be no more and no less “democracy” – but plenty more Sharia law and military rule.

* * *

What “rights” did the protesting Syrian rebel groups actually have in mind?

The “rights” to elections?

Perhaps. Perhaps not.

If victorious, one “right” they’ll probably give themselves is the “right” to kill every Alawite and every Christian in the land.

* * *

Syria is 75 percent Sunni Muslim. The biggest minority is the Alawites (sort of Shi’ites),12-15 percent. Christians about 6 percent.

From a Christian viewpoint, Assad’s Alawite government has been streets ahead of most Muslim-dominated governments . . . .

Tolerant of all religions — including having Christians prominent in government, administration and the army.

We of the west might do best to keep our noses out of internal matters of nations whose cultures we don’t really understand.

In February and March 2011, the violence in Bahrain was bad.

The military used live weapons to clear protesting crowds.

The soldiers were Sunnis.

The victims were Shi’ites.

The injured were treated by doctors at the local Salmaniya hospital.

Subsequently many doctors were arrested — on the pretext of  having, by their actions, “plotted to overthrow the monarchy”.

* * *

Their only crime was doing what all doctors vow to do — to treat the sick and injured regardless of class, creed or colour.

Some doctors were kicked, beaten and threatened with rape.

Thus “confessions” were obtained and the “guilty” doctors sentenced to up to 15 years prison.

To avoid arrest, those doctors would have had to consider persons of the “wrong” religion as non-humans — not entitled to be treated like real humans.

* * *

What about Victoria in Australia?

Here the law says that any doctor unwilling to do an abortion, and who declines to refer the patient to a “doctor” who does such things, can be arrested.

We are expected to pretend that unborn humans are not humans — but fair game for extermination.

Looking at it from God’s point of view, this must be very displeasing.

God has created all his children in love, and expects us to give them all love and justice accordingly.

In principle, Victoria is not even a little bit better than Bahrain in this regard.

Jeff Kennett, head of Beyondblue, a charity devoted to fighting the epidemic of depressive illness in Australia, has made a tactical error.

He said something without prior approval from the media and the feminist/homosexual lobby.

He said that, “Clearly the best environment in which to bring a child into the world is a stable, loving environment in which a male and female are married to each other.”

A welcome bit of common sense.

* * *

Now, of course, he is being told to resign — blackmailed by past donors threatening to pull out unless he knuckles under.

His CEO has resigned without explanation.

Anyway, Mr Kennett has said he will neither apologise nor step down.

So far . . . .

* * *

There is a condition called “coprophagia”, which affects some unfortunate children. They eat their poo.

Few continue doing so into adult life. But coprophagia is said to be observed in small numbers of patients with schizophrenia, depression and autism.

It is normally treated using strategies aimed at reversing the underlying condition.

What is NOT done is tell them they’re doing the right thing — and to organise poo-eating Mardi Gras-type celebrations.

Some things are not just “diversity”, they are wrong, unhealthy and abnormal.

Mr Kennett didn’t say all that about homosexual practices, but his enemies may fear that one day he will.

THE Australian Government’s plan to send boat people to Malaysia seems to have come un-stuck.

Sixteen asylum-seeker men were booked to fly to Malaysia yesterday, but a High Court ruling has blocked the move — at least until after a legal challenge is dealt with on August 22.

Lawyers representing the men presented a letter to the court saying they fear persecution in Malaysia for their religious beliefs.

The government says it has assurances from Malaysia that asylum seekers will be justly treated. But can they be believed?

There is also the question of whether Australia can legally send unaccompanied minors to Malaysia — their safety being ultimately the responsibility of Australian Immigration Minister, Mr Bowen.

* * *

There seems to be no obvious right answer to this dilemma.

Consider the thousands of refugees pouring across the borders of places like Somalia. Our problems are trivial by comparison.

Yet the fact remains that, for every boat person on Christmas Island accepted by us, another person will probably remain stuck in some place more dangerous than Malaysia.

Another problem is that we live in a bad world. Lock up a group of people fleeing persecution, and they transform into angry, emotionally-blackmailing trouble-makers.

Experience warns us that Australia — with no real culture of its own — is poorly equipped to resist attempts to turn it into a nation surrendering to demands for Sharia laws being tolerated.

Nevertheless, compassion compels Christians to want to accept asylum seekers — to process them here, and give them the benefit of the doubt.

* * *

We must pray that our government will act out of motives of true charity . . . .

And that Australians who believe in God will renew their commitment to him, and start living by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

On August 6, the Catholic Church traditionally celebrates the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ.

The event in question was recorded in the gospel as follows:

Jesus took Peter, James, and John up into a high mountain: and he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun: his garments white like snow.

And there appeared Moses and Elias, talking with him.

Peter said to Jesus: ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here: let us make three tabernacles, one for thee, one for Moses, and one for Elias.’

As he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them. And a voice: ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: hear ye him.’

The disciples hearing it, fell upon their faces . . . .

* * *

The disciples regarded this as a miracle.

It helped them to appreciate that Jesus was, in fact, the Son of God, as he claimed to be.

Later, they learned also that being God’s Son — and living in a world as hateful of God as this one – suffering must inevitably follow.

So the universal symbol of the Faith is not a glorious figure enclosed in rays of light — but a tortured body, racked with pain and hanging, impaled, on a cross.

This symbol is so powerful, and so compelling in its message, that wordly people are maddened by hate of it.

So much so that they must subject it to bizarre and futile mockeries.

* * *

This last week in the Philippines a blasphemous mutilation of a depiction of the crucified Lord was hung as “art” to entertain the enemies of God.

When some people tried to destroy it, the media called their action vandalism(!)