Douglas Murray (author)

Douglas Kear Murray (born 16 July 1979) is a British writer.^[1] He was the director of the Centre for Social Cohesion from 2007 until 2011,^[2] and is currently an associate director of the Henry Jackson Society.^[3]

Murray appears regularly in the British broadcast media, commentating on issues from a conservative standpoint, and he is often critical of Islamic fundamentalism. He writes for a number of publications, including Standpoint and The Spectator. He has authored a number of books, including Neoconservatism: Why We Need It (2005) and most recently Bloody Sunday: Truths, Lies and the Saville Inquiry (2011).

Education

Murray was educated at St Benedict's School,^[4] Eton College, and Magdalen College at the University of Oxford, where he studied English.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Publications

At Oxford, aged 20, he published a biography of Lord Alfred Douglas,^[5] which was described by Christopher Hitchens as "masterly".^[6]

Murray later wrote a play, Nightfall, based on Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg's attempts to dissuade Adolf Eichmann from implementing the Final Solution.^[1]

In 2005 he published a defence of neoconservatism, Neoconservatism: Why We Need It and undertook a related promotional tour of the United States. During the tour he gave an interview to the New York Sun, in which he outlined his "instinctive" support for Israel.^[7]

In 2007 he assisted in the writing of Towards a Grand Strategy for an Uncertain World: Renewing Transatlantic Partnership by Gen. Dr. Klaus Naumann, Gen. John Shalikashvili, Field Marshal The Lord Inge, Adm. Jacques Lanxade, and Gen. Henk van den Breemen.^[8] Upon publication, The Guardian reported that among its recommendations was that, as a last resort, NATO should be prepared to launch a pre-emptive nuclear attack in order to prevent the use of weapons of mass destruction.^[9]

[edit] Media appearances, journalism, and public service

He has appeared on the BBC's Question Time,^[10] Newsnight,^{[citation needed]} HardTalk,^[11] Today Programme,^[12] The Big Questions,^{[citation needed]} BBC Wales,^{[citation needed]} and has written for The Guardian,^[13] The Sunday Times,^[14] "NPR's "Intelligence Squared",^[15] and Standpoint.^[16]

Murray is on the international advisory board of NGO Monitor.^[17]

Views on Islam

Murray frequently criticises aspects of Islamic fundamentalism, and he has written that it was through studying Islam and the Qur'an that led to the loss of his own faith.^[18] In 2010 Murray wrote "It is grotesque to argue that Europe has failed its Muslims. It has been made repeatedly obvious that it is Islam that has failed Europe".^[19] Murray is opposed to the presence of Islam in Europe, saying: "Conditions for Muslims in Europe must be made harder across the board: Europe must look like a less attractive proposition."^[20] Murray has since maintained that while he was widely congratulated at the time, that 'politics changes'^[21] and has publicly written, "But I now think much of the speech was wrong, and certainly does not apply today. Nearly six years on, thanks to work done by a broad coalition of people – including many Muslim colleagues and friends – the situation has changed significantly."^[22]

Murray has described what he sees as, "a creed of Islamic fascism – a malignant fundamentalism, woken from the dark ages to assault us here and now". He believes that "we live… in a thought culture – but it is one in which the thought has gone bad". He sees the main problem as being cultural relativism^[23] which he has described as, "the primary disease – the AIDS of the West – the disease which has made the opportunist infection of Islam so deadly".^[24]

He has labelled "Islamophobia" a "nonsense term", as "there are a considerable number of reasons to be fearful of some – though certainly not all – aspects and versions of Islam".^[25] His comments about Islamic extremism in Holland mean that he has to have a police guard when travelling there.^[10]

In March 2009, Murray and the Centre for Social Cohesion applauded the decision to bar Ibrahim el-Moussawi, spokesman for Hizbollah, from entering Britain.^[26] El-Moussawi had been due to lecture government officials and police on political Islam at a course arranged by the School of Oriental and African Studies;^[27] Murray was highly critical of the prospect that while el-Moussawi was set to be welcomed into Britain, elected Dutch MP Geert Wilders had been barred from entering the country just weeks before.^[28] He subsequently wrote to Home Secretary Jacqui Smith warning that he was planning to instruct his lawyers to issue an international arrest warrant against el-Moussawi if he entered Britain;^[27] the Home Office eventually refused el-Moussawi a visa.

[edit] London School of Economics controversy

Murray claimed that he was "banned"^[29][30][31] by the London School of Economics in January 2009. Murray was set to chair a debate titled "Islam and Liberalism: Which is the Way Forward?" between Alan Sked and Hamza Tzortzis. However the LSE decided that, as it was experiencing student protests and significant unrest on campus in the context of Israeli incursion into Gaza, Murray's presence "might provoke further unrest". He was subsequently asked by the university to stay away from campus in the interests of "public safety", Murray claims. The LSE publicly denied that he had been banned, and stated that he had previously spoken at a number of LSE events, and said that they had at the last minute reinvited him to chair the meeting, which Murray later confirmed, though he was too upset to do so. Damian Thompson in the Daily Telegraph called LSE "gutless" and threatened to return the PhD he had earned at the university.^[31] Journalist Melanie Phillips called the decision "another victory for the forces of darkness".^[29]

[edit] Works

• Murray, Douglas (2000). Bosie: A Biography of Lord Alfred Douglas. ISBN 0-340-76771-5.
• Murray, Douglas (2005). Neoconservatism: Why We Need It. ISBN 1-904-86305-1.
• Murray, Douglas (2011). Bloody Sunday: Truths, Lies and the Saville Inquiry. London: Dialogue. pp. 320. ISBN 978-1849541497.

As co-author:

• Murray, Douglas (2007). "Towards a Grand Strategy for an Uncertain World: Renewing Transatlantic Partnership".
• Murray, Douglas; Verwey, Johan Pieter (2008). Victims of Intimidation: Freedom of Speech within Europe's Muslim Communities.

Quote:
Hello Friends,

Below is an excellent video with Douglas Murray a UK author and anti Jihad and radical islam and islam activist. He explains what many of us already know but with pertinent examples of the islamic rake over of Europe. Listen to him, close your eyes cos much of what he's describing and reporting on in Europe is already happening and America is quickly becoming a mirror image of what's happening in all of Europe.

In America we're not at the advanced stage Eurabia is in but we're catching up very quickly. You can attribute the success in the US to B Hussein's fearless muslim agenda.

For this e of you not familiar with Douglas Murray you'll find his bio beneath the video.

Shalom,

Peter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqaEGBRQWeg&feature=youtu.be

Douglas Murray (author)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

Douglas Murray
Born	Douglas Kear Murray 16 July 1979 (age 32) Scotland
Occupation	Associate Director of the Henry Jackson Society Former Director of the Centre for Social Cohesion Author Historian
Nationality	British
Alma mater	Magdelen College, Oxford
Period	2000 – present day
Subjects	Politics, culture, history
Notable work(s)	Bosie: A Biography of Lord Alfred Douglas (2000) Neoconservatism: Why We Need It (2005) Victims of Intimidation: Freedom of Speech within Europe's Muslim Communities (2008) Bloody Sunday: Truths, Lies and the Saville Inquiry (2011)

Douglas Kear Murray (born 16 July 1979) is a British writer.^[1] He was the director of the Centre for Social Cohesion from 2007 until 2011,^[2] and is currently an associate director of the Henry Jackson Society.^[3]

Murray appears regularly in the British broadcast media, commentating on issues from a conservative standpoint, and he is often critical of Islamic fundamentalism. He writes for a number of publications, including Standpoint and The Spectator. He has authored a number of books, including Neoconservatism: Why We Need It (2005) and most recently Bloody Sunday: Truths, Lies and the Saville Inquiry (2011).

Education

Murray was educated at St Benedict's School,^[4] Eton College, and Magdalen College at the University of Oxford, where he studied English.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Publications

At Oxford, aged 20, he published a biography of Lord Alfred Douglas,^[5] which was described by Christopher Hitchens as "masterly".^[6]

Murray later wrote a play, Nightfall, based on Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg's attempts to dissuade Adolf Eichmann from implementing the Final Solution.^[1]

In 2005 he published a defence of neoconservatism, Neoconservatism: Why We Need It and undertook a related promotional tour of the United States. During the tour he gave an interview to the New York Sun, in which he outlined his "instinctive" support for Israel.^[7]

In 2007 he assisted in the writing of Towards a Grand Strategy for an Uncertain World: Renewing Transatlantic Partnership by Gen. Dr. Klaus Naumann, Gen. John Shalikashvili, Field Marshal The Lord Inge, Adm. Jacques Lanxade, and Gen. Henk van den Breemen.^[8] Upon publication, The Guardian reported that among its recommendations was that, as a last resort, NATO should be prepared to launch a pre-emptive nuclear attack in order to prevent the use of weapons of mass destruction.^[9]

[edit] Media appearances, journalism, and public service

He has appeared on the BBC's Question Time,^[10] Newsnight,^{[citation needed]} HardTalk,^[11] Today Programme,^[12] The Big Questions,^{[citation needed]} BBC Wales,^{[citation needed]} and has written for The Guardian,^[13] The Sunday Times,^[14] "NPR's "Intelligence Squared",^[15] and Standpoint.^[16]

Murray is on the international advisory board of NGO Monitor.^[17]

Views on Islam

Murray frequently criticises aspects of Islamic fundamentalism, and he has written that it was through studying Islam and the Qur'an that led to the loss of his own faith.^[18] In 2010 Murray wrote "It is grotesque to argue that Europe has failed its Muslims. It has been made repeatedly obvious that it is Islam that has failed Europe".^[19] Murray is opposed to the presence of Islam in Europe, saying: "Conditions for Muslims in Europe must be made harder across the board: Europe must look like a less attractive proposition."^[20] Murray has since maintained that while he was widely congratulated at the time, that 'politics changes'^[21] and has publicly written, "But I now think much of the speech was wrong, and certainly does not apply today. Nearly six years on, thanks to work done by a broad coalition of people – including many Muslim colleagues and friends – the situation has changed significantly."^[22]

Murray has described what he sees as, "a creed of Islamic fascism – a malignant fundamentalism, woken from the dark ages to assault us here and now". He believes that "we live… in a thought culture – but it is one in which the thought has gone bad". He sees the main problem as being cultural relativism^[23] which he has described as, "the primary disease – the AIDS of the West – the disease which has made the opportunist infection of Islam so deadly".^[24]

He has labelled "Islamophobia" a "nonsense term", as "there are a considerable number of reasons to be fearful of some – though certainly not all – aspects and versions of Islam".^[25] His comments about Islamic extremism in Holland mean that he has to have a police guard when travelling there.^[10]

In March 2009, Murray and the Centre for Social Cohesion applauded the decision to bar Ibrahim el-Moussawi, spokesman for Hizbollah, from entering Britain.^[26] El-Moussawi had been due to lecture government officials and police on political Islam at a course arranged by the School of Oriental and African Studies;^[27] Murray was highly critical of the prospect that while el-Moussawi was set to be welcomed into Britain, elected Dutch MP Geert Wilders had been barred from entering the country just weeks before.^[28] He subsequently wrote to Home Secretary Jacqui Smith warning that he was planning to instruct his lawyers to issue an international arrest warrant against el-Moussawi if he entered Britain;^[27] the Home Office eventually refused el-Moussawi a visa.

[edit] London School of Economics controversy

Murray claimed that he was "banned"^[29][30][31] by the London School of Economics in January 2009. Murray was set to chair a debate titled "Islam and Liberalism: Which is the Way Forward?" between Alan Sked and Hamza Tzortzis. However the LSE decided that, as it was experiencing student protests and significant unrest on campus in the context of Israeli incursion into Gaza, Murray's presence "might provoke further unrest". He was subsequently asked by the university to stay away from campus in the interests of "public safety", Murray claims. The LSE publicly denied that he had been banned, and stated that he had previously spoken at a number of LSE events, and said that they had at the last minute reinvited him to chair the meeting, which Murray later confirmed, though he was too upset to do so. Damian Thompson in the Daily Telegraph called LSE "gutless" and threatened to return the PhD he had earned at the university.^[31] Journalist Melanie Phillips called the decision "another victory for the forces of darkness".^[29]

[edit] Works

• Murray, Douglas (2000). Bosie: A Biography of Lord Alfred Douglas. ISBN 0-340-76771-5.
• Murray, Douglas (2005). Neoconservatism: Why We Need It. ISBN 1-904-86305-1.
• Murray, Douglas (2011). Bloody Sunday: Truths, Lies and the Saville Inquiry. London: Dialogue. pp. 320. ISBN 978-1849541497.

As co-author:

• Murray, Douglas (2007). "Towards a Grand Strategy for an Uncertain World: Renewing Transatlantic Partnership".
• Murray, Douglas; Verwey, Johan Pieter (2008). Victims of Intimidation: Freedom of Speech within Europe's Muslim Communities.

See more referrences and links here.

Quote:
Hi Peter

Douglas Murray, in this video, talks about politicians and people who are too afraid to speak up against the vile things of Islam lest they be killed ...like Van Gogh (?). These people and all of us need to ask ourselves what will happen if we don't speak up now! People are nuts if they think they can appease the Muslims. They will try to get you now or they will get you later when their numbers increase. If you don't want your child to grow up to be a thief when do you discipline him/her ...when he steals the first candy bar or do you wait until he is stealing cars?

Reading the history of what has happened in other countries over the centuries will tell you what happened when the Muslims took over, you had 2 choices, be Muslim or be killed. Most of the people in Northern Africa were not of Muslim ancestry in centuries gone by but now most of them are Muslims.

All of us in the western countries need to get tough with the Muslims who kill and they need to do it NOW! What is the matter with these people who run our respective countries? Has no one any guts. They expect to be able to send our young people in the midst of gunfire and fighting but they themselves don't have the guts to speak up against the things that are wrong with Islam? I run into people like this and they make me sick.

Thank God for people like Douglas Murray, Noni Darwish, Wafa Sultan, Robert Spencer, Pamela Geller, Walid Shoebat, Brigitte Gabriel, Peter Fogel and so many others who do stick their neck out to save us from our cowardly selves.

Helen

Quote:
Hello Friends,

Below is an excellent video with Douglas Murray a UK author and anti Jihad and radical islam and islam activist. He explains what many of us already know but with pertinent examples of the islamic rake over of Europe. Listen to him, close your eyes cos much of what he's describing and reporting on in Europe is already happening and America is quickly becoming a mirror image of what's happening in all of Europe.

In America we're not at the advanced stage Eurabia is in but we're catching up very quickly. You can attribute the success in the US to B Hussein's fearless muslim agenda.

For this e of you not familiar with Douglas Murray you'll find his bio beneath the video.

Shalom,

Peter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqaEGBRQWeg&feature=youtu.be

Douglas Murray (author)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

Douglas Murray
Born	Douglas Kear Murray 16 July 1979 (age 32) Scotland
Occupation	Associate Director of the Henry Jackson Society Former Director of the Centre for Social Cohesion Author Historian
Nationality	British
Alma mater	Magdelen College, Oxford
Period	2000 – present day
Subjects	Politics, culture, history
Notable work(s)	Bosie: A Biography of Lord Alfred Douglas (2000) Neoconservatism: Why We Need It (2005) Victims of Intimidation: Freedom of Speech within Europe's Muslim Communities (2008) Bloody Sunday: Truths, Lies and the Saville Inquiry (2011)

Douglas Kear Murray (born 16 July 1979) is a British writer.^[1] He was the director of the Centre for Social Cohesion from 2007 until 2011,^[2] and is currently an associate director of the Henry Jackson Society.^[3]

Murray appears regularly in the British broadcast media, commentating on issues from a conservative standpoint, and he is often critical of Islamic fundamentalism. He writes for a number of publications, including Standpoint and The Spectator. He has authored a number of books, including Neoconservatism: Why We Need It (2005) and most recently Bloody Sunday: Truths, Lies and the Saville Inquiry (2011).

Education

Murray was educated at St Benedict's School,^[4] Eton College, and Magdalen College at the University of Oxford, where he studied English.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Publications

At Oxford, aged 20, he published a biography of Lord Alfred Douglas,^[5] which was described by Christopher Hitchens as "masterly".^[6]

Murray later wrote a play, Nightfall, based on Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg's attempts to dissuade Adolf Eichmann from implementing the Final Solution.^[1]

In 2005 he published a defence of neoconservatism, Neoconservatism: Why We Need It and undertook a related promotional tour of the United States. During the tour he gave an interview to the New York Sun, in which he outlined his "instinctive" support for Israel.^[7]

In 2007 he assisted in the writing of Towards a Grand Strategy for an Uncertain World: Renewing Transatlantic Partnership by Gen. Dr. Klaus Naumann, Gen. John Shalikashvili, Field Marshal The Lord Inge, Adm. Jacques Lanxade, and Gen. Henk van den Breemen.^[8] Upon publication, The Guardian reported that among its recommendations was that, as a last resort, NATO should be prepared to launch a pre-emptive nuclear attack in order to prevent the use of weapons of mass destruction.^[9]

[edit] Media appearances, journalism, and public service

He has appeared on the BBC's Question Time,^[10] Newsnight,^{[citation needed]} HardTalk,^[11] Today Programme,^[12] The Big Questions,^{[citation needed]} BBC Wales,^{[citation needed]} and has written for The Guardian,^[13] The Sunday Times,^[14] "NPR's "Intelligence Squared",^[15] and Standpoint.^[16]

Murray is on the international advisory board of NGO Monitor.^[17]

Views on Islam

Murray frequently criticises aspects of Islamic fundamentalism, and he has written that it was through studying Islam and the Qur'an that led to the loss of his own faith.^[18] In 2010 Murray wrote "It is grotesque to argue that Europe has failed its Muslims. It has been made repeatedly obvious that it is Islam that has failed Europe".^[19] Murray is opposed to the presence of Islam in Europe, saying: "Conditions for Muslims in Europe must be made harder across the board: Europe must look like a less attractive proposition."^[20] Murray has since maintained that while he was widely congratulated at the time, that 'politics changes'^[21] and has publicly written, "But I now think much of the speech was wrong, and certainly does not apply today. Nearly six years on, thanks to work done by a broad coalition of people – including many Muslim colleagues and friends – the situation has changed significantly."^[22]

Murray has described what he sees as, "a creed of Islamic fascism – a malignant fundamentalism, woken from the dark ages to assault us here and now". He believes that "we live… in a thought culture – but it is one in which the thought has gone bad". He sees the main problem as being cultural relativism^[23] which he has described as, "the primary disease – the AIDS of the West – the disease which has made the opportunist infection of Islam so deadly".^[24]

He has labelled "Islamophobia" a "nonsense term", as "there are a considerable number of reasons to be fearful of some – though certainly not all – aspects and versions of Islam".^[25] His comments about Islamic extremism in Holland mean that he has to have a police guard when travelling there.^[10]

In March 2009, Murray and the Centre for Social Cohesion applauded the decision to bar Ibrahim el-Moussawi, spokesman for Hizbollah, from entering Britain.^[26] El-Moussawi had been due to lecture government officials and police on political Islam at a course arranged by the School of Oriental and African Studies;^[27] Murray was highly critical of the prospect that while el-Moussawi was set to be welcomed into Britain, elected Dutch MP Geert Wilders had been barred from entering the country just weeks before.^[28] He subsequently wrote to Home Secretary Jacqui Smith warning that he was planning to instruct his lawyers to issue an international arrest warrant against el-Moussawi if he entered Britain;^[27] the Home Office eventually refused el-Moussawi a visa.

[edit] London School of Economics controversy

Murray claimed that he was "banned"^[29][30][31] by the London School of Economics in January 2009. Murray was set to chair a debate titled "Islam and Liberalism: Which is the Way Forward?" between Alan Sked and Hamza Tzortzis. However the LSE decided that, as it was experiencing student protests and significant unrest on campus in the context of Israeli incursion into Gaza, Murray's presence "might provoke further unrest". He was subsequently asked by the university to stay away from campus in the interests of "public safety", Murray claims. The LSE publicly denied that he had been banned, and stated that he had previously spoken at a number of LSE events, and said that they had at the last minute reinvited him to chair the meeting, which Murray later confirmed, though he was too upset to do so. Damian Thompson in the Daily Telegraph called LSE "gutless" and threatened to return the PhD he had earned at the university.^[31] Journalist Melanie Phillips called the decision "another victory for the forces of darkness".^[29]

[edit] Works

• Murray, Douglas (2000). Bosie: A Biography of Lord Alfred Douglas. ISBN 0-340-76771-5.
• Murray, Douglas (2005). Neoconservatism: Why We Need It. ISBN 1-904-86305-1.
• Murray, Douglas (2011). Bloody Sunday: Truths, Lies and the Saville Inquiry. London: Dialogue. pp. 320. ISBN 978-1849541497.

As co-author:

• Murray, Douglas (2007). "Towards a Grand Strategy for an Uncertain World: Renewing Transatlantic Partnership".
• Murray, Douglas; Verwey, Johan Pieter (2008). Victims of Intimidation: Freedom of Speech within Europe's Muslim Communities.

See more referrences and links here.

Quote:
Hello Friends,

Two very important Jewish Holidays are just around the corner. Purim will be celebrated next week and Passover next month.

Both holidays have miracles and each is accepted in different ways. I won't go into the details of Purim since I'm sure most of you know the story of Esther and Mordechai and how they defeated the evil Haman.

Passover is also a well known holiday and all the miracles involved with this special week.

I want to dwell a bit on Purim since there are similarities to the present day situation with the Iranian nuclear threat. This is not only directed at Israel but at the Western world but at Israel in particular. Persia was where the miracle of Purim happened and that is the modern day Iran. Their leaders are together Haman and have to be defeated one way or another. What makes the miracle of Purim different is the involvement of the Jewish populace of Persia that fasted and prayed and in this way were active participants in the outcome of the miracle then. Without a doubt prayer is necessary but the activity might take on a different aspect this time around.

Below is today's Dry Bones and then a very interesting article about Purim and Passover. I hope you enjoy it.

Shalom,

Peter

Adar, Purim, Miracles, Happiness, and Passover

By Menachem Levisohn

The month of Adar is not special only because it hosts the holiday of Purim, but rather it has a joyous characteristic of its own. The rabbis taught that when the month of Adar comes in simcha (joy) increases. It is not just Purim that is a happy day, but the entire month that is full of simcha.

Now we should understand that a Jew must be happy the entire year, not just on Purim or during the month of Adar. The Torah brings punishment upon a Jew for not serving G-d with simcha, as it is written "…that you did not serve G-d with simcha and a happy heart" (Deut. 28:47) or the Palmist who exhorts "…serve G-d with simcha" (Psalm 100:2). Therefore if simcha is an integral part of service to G-d, what is the simcha of Adar?

Rashi, the classical commentator explains that when Adar comes in joy increases because it is the time of the miracles of (both) Purim and of Passover (Talmud Taanit 29a). We must therefore understand what is the connection between the two holidays?

The connection between Passover and Purim:

When we compare the two holidays we can see that there are several points that stand out in comparison. Both months have miracles in them. But let us see the differences between the two miracles.

The miracle of Passover was indeed a conglomeration of several gigantic miracles from the ten plagues through to the exodus from Egypt via the splitting of the Red Sea. The revelations of G-d were absolutely apparent to all, from the simplest person to the greatest. It was a time of many miracles that were beyond the realm of nature and in fact shattered the laws of nature. In contrast, the miracle of Purim did not manifest itself in a manner that was apparent to many, unless they considered and analyzed the events that transpired at that time.

The miracle of Passover, culminating with splitting the Red Sea and drowning the Egyptians clearly revealed G-d's total control of life and active participation and intervention in the world to the point of disrupting the laws of nature. The water of the Red Sea stood like a wall on both sides as the Jews crossed through the dry sea bed (which should have been wet!). It was only after they safely emerged on the other side that the pursuing army of Pharaoh was drowned. The oppressor was completed defeated, destroyed and made irrelevant as nature itself changed to accommodate the will of G-d.

Purim, in comparison, was different. Nature was not changed; rather change was brought about through nature. King Achasverous was not killed, but changed from our enemy to our friend. We did not exit Persia, we remained there as his citizens. It was a miracle that was brought forth within the laws of nature, its revelation relied on our understanding and analyzing of the situation to see how it changed 'miraculously'.

Yet although the miracle of Passover was greater and there is certainly a mitzvah to be happy on Passover, it does not compare to the greater joy and happiness that is felt on Purim – even though the miracle of Passover was ever so much greater.

The reason is interesting:

The awesomeness of the open miracles of Passover were too lofty for us to enjoy. They not just terrified the Egyptians, but they put us into an extreme state of awe and trepidation. We were so frightened from them that we were unable to be in a state of joy.

Purim's miracles, on the other hand, were not overbearing to us. Like the Exodus from Egypt, we knew that we were in a state of danger, but unlike the Exodus, it was the Jews who took the initiative and participated in our own redemption. All of the Jews in Persia fasted to change the evil decree and it worked! Our senses were working and we perceived our own success, we were alive and delighted!

Passover on the other hand, we were not in charge of our fate. We were pawns in a drama that G-d was playing with the Egyptians and we lived through it as an anxious and horrified people.

What is the connection between the miracles and simcha?

Now simcha and miracles have something in common - both shatter barriers. When a person is in a state of joy, he is capable of achieving more than when he is depressed. He can go beyond the limitations that are imposed upon him - such as liking a person he normally dislikes or doing a project that he did not want to do.

Miracles are like that too, they shatter the existing barriers. The miracle of Passover shattered the Egyptian's hold on the Jews and totally destroyed any barrier that existed either from them or made by us. The miracle of Purim, while working with in the laws of nature, also broke though existing barriers and while it did not destroy our enemies, they were changed to a state of being our friends instead of being our enemies.

We see that each type of miracle has a certain advantage. The Passover miracle brings unbelievable changes in nature, obvious revelation of G-dliness and puts everyone under tremendous fear, whereas the Purim miracle is one that is almost imperceptible unless we employ active contemplation, yet it is the type of miracle that we can enjoy.

Why do we need two types of miracles?

The future miracle that we are all waiting for, when our long exile will end and the Third Temple will finally be rebuilt will have the best qualities of both of these two types of miracles. First, our enemies will not be destroyed but will become our friends; all nations will give up their false beliefs and turn whole heartedly to G-d. Revelation of G-d in this world will be greater than that revealed during the Egyptian Exodus and yet our joy will increase to unlimited proportions even to the point that the miracle of Passover will seem small in comparison.

~~~~~~~

from the Febuary 2007 Edition of the Jewish Magazine

Quote:

Hello Friends,

Since today is Purim and many of my friends told me they know nothing about this Holiday I searched and found a 60 second overview of Purim. A sorta quick fix. for those interested I can supply further sites to learn more about Purim and other Jewish holidays.

Here's a Dry Bones for your enjoyment too.

Shalom,

Peter

A quick play-by-play recounting of the Purim story - how Mordechai and Esther pulled off the save of the century.
by Rabbbi Shimon Apisdorf

CHAPTER 1 -- KING ACHASHVEROSH THROWS A PARTY

1. A lavish six-month celebration marks the third year in the reign of Achashverosh, king of Persia.

2. Queen Vashti refuses the king's request to appear at the celebration and display her beauty for the assembled guests.

3. The king's advisors counsel that Vashti be replaced with a new queen.

CHAPTER 2 -- ESTHER BECOMES THE QUEEN

1. Across the Persian Empire, officials are appointed to identify beautiful candidates to succeed Vashti as queen.

2. A Jewish girl, Esther, the niece of Mordechai, is brought to the capital of Persia as one of the candidates.

3. Mordechai tells Esther to conceal her identity.

4. Esther is chosen to be the queen.

5. Mordechai learns of a plot to overthrow the king. Mordechai informs Esther, Esther tells the king, and the plotters are hanged.

CHAPTER 3 -- THE RISE OF HAMAN

1. Achashverosh appoints Haman to be his prime minister. All bow in homage to Haman.

2. Mordechai consistently refuses to bow to Haman.

3. An enraged Haman vows to kill all the Jews of Persia.

4. Haman prevails upon Achashverosh to destroy the Jews.

5. A royal edict is disseminated throughout Persia. The 13th of Adar is designated as the date to exterminate all the Jews and plunder their possessions.

CHAPTER 4 -- ESTHER'S MISSION BECOMES CLEAR

1. Mordechai tears his clothes and puts on sackcloth and ashes as a sign of public mourning.

2. Mordechai sends a copy of the decree to Esther and asks her to intercede with the king.

3. Esther replies that to approach the king without being summoned is to risk death.

4. Mordechai tells her that she has no choice.

5. Esther tells Mordechai to ask the Jews to fast and pray for three days before she will approach the king.

CHAPTER 5 -- ESTHER'S STRATEGY, HAMAN'S FURY

1. King Achashverosh receives Esther and grants her virtually any request.

2. Esther's request: that the king and Haman join her at a banquet.

3. After the banquet, Haman sees Mordechai who once again refuses to bow.

4. When Zeresh, Haman's wife, suggests that Mordechai be hung, the gallows are prepared.

CHAPTER 6 -- THE REVERSAL BEGINS

1. The king can't sleep and asks to hear the royal chronicles.

2. For the first time, the king learns of the assassination plot that Mordechai had revealed.

3. That same night, Haman comes to see the king about hanging Mordechai.

4. Before Haman can speak, the king tells Haman to honor Mordechai by dressing him in royal garments, to place him on a royal stallion and to personally lead him through the streets of Shushan, capital of Persia.

CHAPTER 7 -- REVERSAL OF FORTUNE

1. At the second banquet, Esther reveals her identity and announces that she and her people are about to be murdered.

2. Esther identifies Haman as her arch enemy.

3. The king has Haman hung on the gallows that had been prepared for Mordechai.

CHAPTER 8 -- THE REVERSAL IS COMPLETE

1. Mordechai is named prime minister to replace Haman.

2. A second royal edict is promulgated empowering the Jews to fight and kill anyone who would try to harm them.

CHAPTER 9 -- THE HOLIDAY OF PURIM

1. On the 13th of Adar, a day that had been designated for Jewish destruction, the Jews are victorious over their enemies.

2. The 10 sons of Haman are hung.

3. The 14th and 15th of Adar are designated to celebrate the salvation. These are the days of Purim.

4. Mordechai initiates the Purim practices -- consisting of a festive meal, the exchange of gifts of food, and the giving of monetary gifts to the poor.

CHAPTER 10 -- MORDECHAI AND PERSIA

1. Persia, with Mordechai as prime minister, flourishes.

2. The role of Mordechai in the history of the Persian empire is recorded in the king's chronicles.

Adapted from "One Hour Purim Primer," by Rabbi Shimon Apisdorf.

www.leviathanpress.com

A Jew prays at the Western Wall

Israel news photo: Flash 90

Wednesday’s “Fast of Esther” is in memory of Queen Esther of Persia's risking her life by approaching King Ahasueros, her husband, to save the country’s Jews.

No one, she tells her relative Mordecai when he asks her to intercede for the Jews, was allowed to enter the king's court without receiving an invitation to do so. Anyone uninvited risked death unless the king held out his scepter to that person. She had also never revealed that she was a Jewess.

Esther asked Mordecai to get all the Jews to fast and pray for her welfare for three days, and they did, prior to her approaching the king in order to launch a series of events that ended with her asking him to save the Jews from the king’s wicked second-in-command, Haman, who had convinced the king that the Jews should be murdered.

Mordecai had told her that despite her being a queen, there is no way she can avoid eventual retribution if she does not help her brethren. She bravely answered, “Go and gather all the Jews who are found in Shushan and fast for me, and do not eat and do not drink three days, night and day; and I and my maidens will also fast thus. Then I will go to the king and if I am lost, so be it.”

The fast day started at 4.29 a.m. in Israel and ends at 6:04 p.m., followed by the reading of the Biblical book known as the Scroll of Esther, or Megillat Esther. This is the day on which the Jews turned the table on Haman and his loyalists. In Jerusalem and other cities that have a wall from the days of Joshua, the reading is on Thursday night, to commemmorate the Jews in the walled city of Shushan, who were saved a day later.

The aim of fasting is for Jews to remind themselves that HaShem is the true source of their strength.

Wednesday, the fast day is the 13th day of the Hebrew month of Adar, the day that Haman chose by a lottery to exterminate the Jews to satisfy his anger against Mordechai, who raised the orphaned Esther and who refused to bow down to him.

Esther had actually asked the Jews to fast three days during the following month of Nisan, but the fast day is observed the day before the holiday of Purim, the scheduled date of the massacre and on which topsy-turvy events resulted in Haman’s death and the elevation of Mordechai as the king’s new second-in-command.

Another reason for not observing the fast in the following month of Nissan is because it is a month in which fasting is forbidden.

The fast is mentioned in the Scroll of Esther, which states, “And as they accepted upon themselves and upon their children, the matters of their fastings and their cry.”

Conversos, the converted Jews of Spain who kept their religion secret on pain of torture and death during the time of the Inquisition, observed this fast with particular solemnity. They identified with Queen Esther, the Jewess, who, in the words of the Scroll of Esther, "did not reveal her nation's identity or her birthplace", making her a crypto- Jew as they were.

• Would Israel's Courts Hang Haman?
• "Olam Haba" Purim Concert and Parade on Mount Zion
• Jewish Hungarian Writer Seeks Asylum in Canada
• Rare Video of Israeli Rabbi in Iran