Tom Keiser: Lust For Glory

newfilosofee:

This time last year, Reza was in California doing what he loved to do. Composing music, playing football, going to the beach and surfing, taking Rocky (his dog) out to the beach. But one trip back home to Iran for the summer changed everything.

He was in Iran last year during the elections and protests, but after numerous arrests (often without a valid reason) he fled the country to get away from persecution in Iran, and now he is facing possible extradition back to Iran where I could be persecuted.

He is a friend to all. An activist. A pianist. A brother, a son and a loving person.

Join this group and spread the word about Reza. 

His story is not about politics. It is not about borders. It is about a person, just like you or I, who believes in Freedom and Justice for all. He has helped so many people and the least we can do for him is show that we stand with him.

Please join.  And yes, he is THIS Reza.

inothernews:

Israeli naval commandos raided a flotilla carrying thousands of tons of supplies for Gaza in international waters on Monday morning, killing at least 10 people, according to the Israeli military and activists traveling with the flotilla. Some Israeli news reports put the death toll higher.

The confrontation drew widespread international condemnation of Israel, with Israeli envoys summoned to explain their country’s actions in several European countries.

The criticism offered a propaganda coup to Israel’s foes, particularly Hamas, the militant group that holds sway in Gaza, and damaged Israel’s ties to Turkey, one of its most important Muslim partners and the unofficial sponsor of the Gaza-bound convoy. Turkey recalled its ambassador to Israel, and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan cut short a visit to Latin America to return home.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled his plans for meeting with President Obama in Washington on Tuesday, an Israeli government official confirmed. Mr. Netanyahu, who is visiting Canada, planned to return home Monday to deal with fallout from the raid, the official said.

The Israeli Defense Forces said more than 10 people were killed when naval personnel boarding the six ships in the aid convoy met with “live fire and light weaponry including knives and clubs.” The naval forces then “employed riot dispersal means, including live fire,” the military said in a statement.

Greta Berlin, a leader of the pro-Palestinian Free Gaza Movement, speaking by telephone from Cyprus, rejected the military’s version.

“That is a lie,” she said, adding that it was inconceivable that the civilian passengers on board would have been “waiting up to fire on the Israeli military, with all its might.”

“We never thought there would be any violence,” she said.

1. I am going to purge my Facebook account of all “extra” people. Only folks I actually want to keep in touch with are staying, and that is a VERY short list.
2. I will only bring 100 items with me. (Not including clothing, and kitchen essentials)
3. I will keep my promise to visit friends in NYC,…

Best of luck in Philly!  I hope you love it as much if not more than I do!