Yesterday on Haya TV, Nabil Na‘im, a former leader of Egypt’s Islamic Jihad and close confidante of current al-Qaeda leader, Ayman Zawahiri—who also helped found Egypt’s Islamic Jihad—asserted that, during the reign of former president Muhammad Morsi, Zawahiri was given $25 million from Muslim Brotherhood leader Khairat al-Shatter to organize, fund, and assemble the jihadi groups “in order to support the Brotherhood.” (For more on the Muslim Brotherhood/Al-Qaeda relationship, click here).

It should be noted that al-Shatter, though not a member of Morsi’s government—only a leader of the Brotherhood—was, after being imprisoned after the revolution, asked for personally by John McCain during his visit to Egypt some months back, when he pushed for Brotherhood reinstatement. Also, U.S. ambassador to Egypt Anne Patterson was reportedly seen visiting Shatter often.

Earlier, Na‘im, the former Jihad leader had said that attempts by the U.S. to “reconcile” Egypt with the Muslim Brotherhood was “nothing but a conspiracy by the American administration,” and that the Brotherhood, when in power, had betrayed Egyptian sovereignty, adding that ousted president Morsi granted Egyptian citizenship to more than 60,000 Palestinians, many of whom were in the ranks of the jihad.

Hillsdale Daily News

The following guest editorial is writer Connie R. Gale's reaction to Sheldon Richman's opinion piece, "Obama, Kerry jeopardize peace with Iran," which appeared in the March 22, 2014 edition of the Hillsdale Daily News. Sheldon Richman's opinion in Hillsdale Daily News negatively stereotyped Israel and portrayed Iran as a victim seeking peace. Richman criticized U.S.-led economic sanctions against Iran for depriving elderly and children of medicines and nourishment. His emotional plays on prejudice and our concern for others fold us to his story. Notably, Sheldon Richman didn't express concern or even refer to slaughter or abuse of people, including Muslims, Kurds, Christians, and women and children, by Middle Eastern and African countries. The United Nations recently reported Iran's persecution of religious minorities, including Christians. Amnesty International reports each month approximately 66 people are put to death in Iran. A March 28 article in Hillsdale Daily News summarized a speech by a woman lawyer from Sudan. Over 40,000 Sudanese women every year are flogged for indecent behavior "...such as wearing slacks." In contrast, Israel has never been accused of beheading, abducting, raping or similarly persecuting Christians or Muslims. Israel's substantial Muslim population, particularly women, enjoy freedoms they would never have in other Middle Eastern countries. Raymond Ibrahim, a Christian, contends media is intentionally ignoring persecution of Christians, including Christian women and children who are abducted, enslaved and raped. "From Morocco in the west to Indonesia in the east and from Central Asia to the north to sub-Saharan Africa to the south; across thousands of miles of lands inhabited by peoples who do not share the same races, languages, cultures, and/or socio-economic conditions, millions of Christians are being persecuted..." Nations, including through America's non-intervention, for centuries had enabled slaughter of people even remotely of Jewish origin. Similarly, nations' non-involvement and suppression of information by government and media had resulted in slaughter of millions of people of other faiths (including Christians) or nationalities such as in Poland, Russia, or Cambodia. Nations routinely slaughter millions of babies through abortions. In context of these realities, is peace Sheldon Richman's objective or is prejudice Richman's framework? Richman's logic sequence leads to let Israel be destroyed, and the Middle East will be at peace and behave wonderfully to their citizens. If we believe this outcome, could care less about any wholesale slaughter of Israel's people, and think everything going wrong in the Middle East is due to Israel, what does that say about us? Dr. Keith Ablow MD, a psychiatrist, observed Israel reminds America, "Liberty is always at risk from those who would destroy it ... Vigilance is essential ... Peace always comes from strength ... God and government are not enemies ... God doesn't do the work." Dr. Ablow believes America is losing its courage, comfort of knowing God, and love for liberty.