Though the winter weather on Okinawa is mild it is definitely too chilly to swim without a wetsuit doesn’t mean you cannot enjoy some of the beautiful natural spots the island has to offer This 84-foot-high waterfall in Kunigami Village is the largest waterfall on Okinawa’s main island but the area also offers visitors great camping and hiking especially in the winter season when the summer heat isn’t beating down Access to this area is about a two-hour drive from Camp Foster as it is also home to another popular point of interest — Okuma Beach My journey on a sunny day in January wasn’t to go lay on a beach but to see the majestic waterfall in all its glory and enjoy a nice hike through the shade of the forested park which looked like a rock wall from a movie set a preview of the big waterfall waiting ahead it was a relatively easy walk as ropes were stretched along the route to help trekkers navigate the area The one I took led me to a river and though the downstream looked calm and peaceful the rainfall from the day before had made the river rise slightly According to a signboard posted at the gate it was a little shy of a mile from the gate to the waterfall I came across a suspension bridge over the river I spent some time taking high angle shots of the river and forest A sign at the end of the bridge indicated I had approximately 650 meters to go The surrounding landscape became more dynamic but it was still fun to take in the surrounding views of moss-covered rocks and water flowing through them forming a small pond and drawing beautiful layers of blue and green The distance of 2,133 feet would have felt short if it were on a track the road to Hiji Waterfall made it feel much longer A pavilion and benches installed along the path came in handy and I took several breaks to catch my breath and enjoy the sound of the waterfall growing louder The final portion of the path to the waterfall was a boardwalk It went up to a landing at a good elevation Although much smaller than the waterfalls of Yellowstone or Niagara Hiji Waterfall still maintained its own beauty Its incessant current was the shape of a broom drawn with a big stroke of a brush Rugged rocks cut by the strong water could be seen behind the flow and the surrounding greenery created a harmonious view that was relaxing Visitors are not allowed in the basin at the bottom but there is a rocky stretch nearby where you can get a closer look at the impressive waterfall (Note: There is a rope around the water area Do not go in the water as it is not safe and people have drowned in the area in years past.) After a 40-minute walk on the mountainous road the river and forest rendered different colors than before The closing time of the camping site was approaching And another two-hour drive was waiting for me my steps procrastinated to pick up the pace and the sound of the waterfall continued to linger in my mind Read now > Sign up for our weekly newsletter of articles from Japan With an increasing number of Muslims living in Japan there has been a growing demand for burial plots to conform with their religious beliefs in a country where cremation is the norm While some local governments are considering establishing new burial cemeteries to accommodate foreign workers the idea has not gone over well with some Japanese community leaders who have raised objections over what they say are sanitary concerns Muslims who are considering permanently residing in the country say the limited number of burial plots makes them anxious about their future Yoshihiro Murai said he was considering building a new cemetery in the prefecture after a plea from a Muslim resident who told him that living in Japan "is very difficult" for his family because of the lack of graves located in the Tohoku region in northeastern Japan exchanged memorandums with the Indonesian government in 2023 regarding the securing of human resources in an effort to support local industries Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world says that Muslims must be buried and are resurrected after death Cremation is strictly forbidden among practitioners of the faith "I feel that the government should be more concerned about the lack of attention to multiculturalism even though it claims to be a multicultural society," said Murai pointing out that there are no burial cemeteries in the Tohoku region we have to do something about this," he added a project to construct a large burial cemetery in Hiji town has been promoted by the Beppu Muslim Association a religious corporation in nearby Beppu city But the future of the project has become uncertain due to opposition from the town's mayor The plan had initially seemed to be going well local residents approved the plan for the sale of land owned by the municipal government on condition it complied with ordinances for burial sites The apparent smooth progress of the plan was in contrast with the opposition aroused in 2018 by a plan to buy a different plot That had triggered rumors about alleged harm including the impact on groundwater quality the conditions included an agreement with the residents association where the planned site is located promising no additional burials for 20 years in plots where burials have taken place and that the groundwater would be tested once a year the situation took a bleak turn when Tetsuya Abe who opposed the plan over concerns about public health won his inaugural mayoral election bid in August 2024 was informed that Abe had no intention of selling the plot to be used as a cemetery after residents expressed concerns about the possible contamination of drinking water among other issues According to an estimate by Hirofumi Tanada professor emeritus at Waseda University who is an expert on Muslims affairs in Japan the country's Muslim population was approximately 350,000 as of the beginning of 2024 The number of mosques in Japan had increased from only a few four decades ago to about 150 as of June 2024 Although the numbers are expected to rise even further there are only about 10 major locations with burial sites in Japan with religious affiliations The law regarding burial sites does not prohibit ground interment and local governments can establish them if they set requirements But according to a national survey conducted in fiscal 2023 more than 99.9 percent of cemeteries still only perform cremations the government touts its efforts to accept more human resources and work toward the reality of an inclusive society says the issue of providing burial plots should not be left to municipalities suggesting that the central government step in to establish guidelines the Beppu Muslim Association petitioned the central government to establish a public cemetery where people can choose their burial method according to their faith but "there has been no change," according to the association a university professor in Oita who came to Japan in 2001 and became a Japanese citizen "We cannot give up on graves for the sake of the next generation." he said Stores in Japan set up prayer rooms as Muslim visitors increase To have the latest news and stories delivered to your inbox Simply enter your email address below and an email will be sent through which to complete your subscription Please check your inbox for a confirmation email Thank you for reaching out to us.We will get back to you as soon as possible Please view the main text area of the page by skipping the main menu. The page may not be displayed properly if the JavaScript is deactivated on your browser Japanese version Oita — A plan to build a large Muslim cemetery in Hiji may be canceled due to the opposition of the town’s newly elected mayor please disable the ad blocking feature and reload the page This website uses cookies to collect information about your visit for purposes such as showing you personalized ads and content By clicking “Accept all,” you will allow the use of these cookies Users accessing this site from EEA countries and UK are unable to view this site without your consent a religious corporation in Beppu in the prefecture has been planning to establish the cemetery said he will not approve the sale of any land owned by the town for that purpose under the current plan and that the Hiji government will discuss the matter with the association again was elected mayor for the first time on Aug Cremation is strictly forbidden by Islam and securing Muslim burial sites in Japan has been a problem The association initially bought another piece of land in Hiji in 2018 for a Muslim cemetery but that plan was abandoned due to opposition from local residents It decided to buy land owned by the town instead and has discussed with the Hiji government its plan to build a cemetery on the current site The envisioned cemetery would have 79 plots on about 4,950 square meters in a western part of Hiji Muslims who lived in the Kyushu and Okinawa regions at the time of their death would be buried there the Muslim association signed an agreement with the residents association of the district where the planned site is located promising no additional burials for 20 years in plots where burials have taken place The association also promised that the local groundwater would be tested once a year The town government has been moving forward with the sale taking the position that it had no alternative if the plan meets the requirements of ordinances related to burial sites some residents of the town and of the neighboring city of Kitsuki in the prefecture have opposed the plan expressing concerns about the possible contamination of drinking water Abe told the Yomiuri Shimbun on Thursday that the cemetery plan cannot be approved in its current form “This is a matter for the central government The central government needs to present a guideline,” he said Abe told the media that “a political solution is necessary.” “There is no scientific proof that there will be no impact on water sources We need to stop the process and hold discussions with the association,” Abe said “I want to explain that we have already gained the understanding of the local residents.” Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting © 2025 The Japan News - by The Yomiuri Shimbun With the recent announcement that the WPSL will be partnering with Movement Interactive Soc Takes was interested in exploring the idea and science behind using accelerometer-based equipment for diagnosing concussive injuries The idea behind using accelerometers is fairly simple It has to do with g-forces (gravitational forces) One g-force is what you’re experiencing right now — the rate at which you’re being “pulled” toward the toilet bowl on which you are currently seated as you read this As you accelerate — or more importantly in our case decelerate — you experience increasing g-forces Think about the experience of being on a roller coaster; that feeling of suddenly accelerating twisting or stopping causes your body to experience being pushed or pulled You decide to play some pickup soccer with Mr better known as “The Undertaker.” During the match you find yourself going up for a header against him manage to merely make contact with his elbow While you were jumping up to get to the ball When your head suddenly struck a massive tattooed elbow This sudden cessation of movement resulted in very strong decelerative g-forces to your head if we were able to measure those g-forces on your head we might be able to ascertain whether or not you’ve experienced a brain injury Stick a device such as an accelerometer that measures g-forces onto someone’s head The general idea came to him as he watched his son play tackle football approximately seven years ago Luster remembers realizing a horrible event that occurred while Luster was working on his PhD in computer science A young high school football player had died after continuing to play through an undiagnosed concussion as his son played tackle football on the same field that a horrendous event had occurred Luster was determined to prevent history from repeating itself This catalyzed Luster into beginning the framework for Movement Interactive “We first tried to develop a sensor in the football helmet but we quickly switched to adding it to a headband it tracks to about 200 g of force in terms of acceleration It also has a gyroscope that works to track rotational forces We use some of the same technologies that helped modernize the automobile industry in terms of airbags,” Luster says adding that a recently completed study at Gateway Community College showed that wearing the headband did not interfere with players’ ability to head the ball “We were astonished that 100% of the athletes forgot they were wearing the device.” As the founder of Movement Interactive, he has launched a product that he believes will revolutionize concussion prediction and head injury data collection. This product is called the Hiji band. And, the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) will be the first national league to adopt its usage baseline physiological and behavioral recordings will be generated from WPSL players during training These recordings will be used to help with concussion diagnosis during the season Soc Takes understands the league is still considering the option of playing their fall season the sensor will measure rotation and linear g-forces a “head impact criteria” score is then generated If that score crosses a threshold — also calculated based on the same proprietary algorithm — an alert is sent to athletic trainers and coaches Medical personnel would then be the ones responsible for determining if the player is at risk for concussion it is meant to be suggestive — although based on real-time impact data “It is intended to help better measure and track cumulative head impacts so players and coaches can more accurately monitor player health status over time.” The data on accelerometer-based concussive prediction and diagnosis is equivocal at best; and I use that word carefully. The data in the field is mired by poorly-controlled studies that show small effect sizes (if at all) Luster confirms that the Hiji band and sensor confirmatory data was also generated using dummies Luster listens to my rant about the equivocal nature of these studies patiently “This is why we want to work closely with the league (WPSL) We want to develop solutions with the league that contribute more than hurt the sport When folks say these things are not accurate Our aim is to detect that severe head impact that will save someone’s life and we are confident about achieving that.” Soc Takes reached out to neuropathologist and TBI researcher Dr. Willie Stewart for comment on accelerometer-based TBI research. Stewart is the leader of the Glasgow Brain Injury Research Group (GBIRG) and is currently a clinical associate professor at the University of Glasgow While it must be stated that Stewart was not commenting on Hiji band technology specifically he remains very skeptical about the implementation of equipment using accelerometers “There is no accelerometer ‘number’ that identifies concussion or brain injury despite many thousands of hours and studies across numerous sports And then there is the issue that data from accelerometers is pretty noisy and not terribly reliable.” It has to be stated that none of the above criticisms applies to Hiji per se It is entirely possible that Hiji band technology does have efficacy and predictive capabilities it is impossible for us to know as there is no published data Which brings us to the final issue — Hiji is a black box It is built on proprietary and/or patented designs and algorithms That poses an additional challenge in determining the validity and reliability of the innovation Luster says the cost for the equipment will be borne by parents and/or teams Whether or not teams in the WPSL — already running on a small budget — will be willing to pay for these bands is unclear WPSL communications director James Poling (see disclosure below) expects that “at least one or two clubs” will utilize the system the Hiji band will be used in concert with SCAT3 diagnosis and he reiterates that ultimately it will be a medical professional — not the band — that will determine whether or not a player has been concussed athletic trainers would need to go through intensive training on how to correctly analyze and interpret the data generated by the system Both Luster and the WPSL believe that is an achievable goal Poling says that though COVID has delayed plans, the league expects to host informational seminars for athletic trainers in the future. Dr. Vytus Ringus will be responsible for the development of these seminars and tracking any potential health-related benefits of the Hiji system Luster is optimistic about the future for Hiji One of his ideas is to help coaches make decisions regarding their training modules He agrees with some of the concerns stated by Stewart and the scientific literature at large “Several of our competitors have tried the approach of simply capturing g-force to identify a concussion Our product combines acceleration and rotation (from gyroscope) for completing the calculations it has been found that a 10 g impact can be more harmful than a 20 g impact given location “If we notice a trend that there is a team that shows higher injury scores during a certain time point we can contact the coach and let them know that they may consider changing a particular drill He hopes to gain buy-in from youth leagues in the future with the goal of collecting and tracking data longitudinally; he hopes to track injury data for individuals across their youth and young adult careers robust and usable it is remains as uncertain as it is potentially exciting While MLS still continues to drag its feet on its concussion protocol perhaps we should celebrate the WPSL for setting up this innovative collaboration Disclosure: James Poling has been a freelance contributor for Soc Takes in the past no current financial ties between Soc Takes and Poling Follow Nipun on Twitter: @NipunChopra7 Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to exclusive content and supporter benefits. Click here to become a patron today This work, Hikers splash their way to Hiji Falls, by LCpl Kasey Peacock, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright Three agricultural businesses in Oxnard that employ about 260 people are closing in early August plus an associated seedling nursery and shipping operation will shut down permanently and completely officials said in a notice sent to the Ventura County Board of Supervisors could not be reached for comment on the exact reasons for the shuttering of the business established in the 1950s said members of the Japanese family that started the company decided to close because of what he described as the difficult regulatory climate in California 'It was a very emotional decision for the company,' Roy said Thursday 'Many employees had worked for the company for over 30 years.' cabbage and lettuce at 771 Mountain View Ave. Hiji's notice says the affected employees include agricultural workers employers must provide notice 60 days in advance of plant closings and mass layoffs to public officials as well as the workers Roy said the shutdown affects three separate units that produce the crops The Seaview Growers nursery grows the seedlings which are then transplanted and raised to maturity by Hiji Brothers workers at Hiji and Seaview voted to change their union from the United Food and Commercial Workers to the United Farm Workers the UFW pledged to press for negotiations with Hiji and Seaview UFW organizer Roman Pinal said the union was prepared to begin talks around the time that the company decided to close 'You're talking about a labor force that was there with Cesar Chavez in the early 1980s.' He said the union wants the company to negotiate a good severance package and will be watching the closure closely Roy said the family had been evaluating a shutdown over the last year and that it was prompted by the business environment in California Roy said wage and benefits required in California make it difficult for growers to compete with other states and countries that pay less A response team from the county Human Services Agency will be working with the businesses to offer assistance to employees Included is information on public assistance health insurance and unemployment benefits The agency was notified of the closure this week Supervisor John Zaragoza said Hiji Brothers has been part of the fabric of Oxnard for 'many many years,' calling the closure 'horrible.' Roy said he did not know if the property would be sold The following is an ordered list per chapter During Chapter 1 head to the Children’s Park in the North West corner of town Listen to their conversation to start this Substory She will ask you to find some Haruka merchandise After speaking with the shop assistant he will tell you to go to Theater Square and speak with people at Club Sega Speak with one of the guys at the top of the stairs #25:  The Fools Who DreamHead to the Shrine to see a mother and daughter arguing choosing the top option of the conversation both times go do a fight or another part of a Substory You will see the young girl with her Senpai before a group of thugs appear Speak with Misa after the cut-scene to complete the Substory #26:  Sins of the FatherHead to the stairs that lead up to the cemetery Two elderly people are having a discussion Listen to the conversation and then agree to help the man there’s two girls outside handing out fliers You will have a choice during the conversation Choose “I want to join the Order of Munan Chohept Onast” You will get asked a few questions after that Following that you will learn the true identity of the old man and have to defeat the guru #32:  The Girl Who Leapt Through TimeWalk around in the Pedestrian Bridge area and a young girl will approach you from behind Tell her that you believe her and then return to the Pedestrian Bridge to encounter her again Once you reach the bridge you will learn more about her family before fighting to save her dad #28:  The Curse of OnomichThis Substory takes place at night only Head to the cemetery area and Kiryu will feel as though he is being watched A few seconds later you will be ambushed by a ghost You need to return to the Cemetery several times to complete the Substory go and complete another Substory or fight some random thugs around town You can then return to the Cemetery for the next fight Do this 3-4 times until Kiryu wakes up at home Return to the Cemetery one last time to complete the Substory #29:  Oh No It's Ono-MichioHead to the Pharmacy on Central Shopping District You’ll take on the role of a mascot and have to complete a performance Use the following responses during the show With 13 seasons playing in the big leagues high-stakes high school baseball playoff game that ended in a breathtaking walk-off "My heart is still pounding," Camarillo High's first-year head coach said a few minutes after the Scorpions' wholly dramatic 6-5 victory over visiting Yorba Linda in the quarterfinals of the CIF-Southern Section Division 2 playoffs Down to their last out — heck down to their last strike — the Scorpions pulled out the victory in the bottom of the seventh on back-to-back RBI hits by Brandon Hiji and Matthew Lopez Matched up against Yorba Linda closer Wyatt Benson Hiji stood at the plate with two outs and J.T Schardt had reached base with one out after being hit by a pitch and then stealing second Hiji lashed a drive that early cleared the fence in left-center it struck the wall for a game-tying double Lopez followed and slashed a sharp single up the middle that plated Hiji and sent the Scorpions into bench-clearing ecstasy "I told Brandon before he batted that I would do whatever he did," Lopez said with a grin With the Scorpions' season hanging in the balance "I told myself don't change my approach," said the senior left fielder I saw it hit the wall and I knew we were going to win." "There's is absolutely no better feeling than getting a walk-off win in a playoff game," said Hiji We kept thinking we would find a way to get it done." said the Scorpions picked up their intensity at just the right time "I felt like we got a little too calm in the middle innings," he said The prodigious bottom of the seventh was actually the second rally mounted by the Scorpions on the day Camarillo trailed 2-0 after three innings when Boston Bateman blasted a three-run home run in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead at 3-2 Camarillo now heads into the postseason semifinals for the first time since 2007 The Scorpions remain alive in their quest for their first section title since 2002 Dmitri's younger brother who would become the top selection in the Major League Baseball draft — helped deliver an 8-1 victory over Lakewood Camarillo (20-7) will host Trabuco Hills in the semifinals Camarillo's graduation is scheduled for Tuesday at 5 p.m Trabuco Hills eliminated second-seeded Sierra Canyon on Friday The Scorpions likely will start ace Brian Uribe in the next round Uribe had pitched five consecutive shutouts before yielding a single run in the second-round victory over Corona del Mar With Uribe having made the start in the first two rounds Camarillo went with pitchers Triston Kramer Logan Cook and Eldridge Armstrong in the key quarterfinal contest "It was time for those guys to shake off their nerves and get on the mound," said Young Camarillo held a 3-2 lead until the top of the sixth when Yorba Linda rallied off Cook and Armstrong to take a 5-3 lead Spencer Zumbek and Christian Hong each delivered RBI hits The Scorpions closed the gap in the bottom of the sixth when Juan Rios singled home Lopez words like "team of destiny" were used by Young he said a section championship was always the top goal "I was hired to bring home a CIF-SS championship," he said San Dimas 1: Roc Riggio went 3 for 4 with three home runs and six RBIs Max Muncy was 3 for 3 with an RBI and Charlie Saum finished 2 for 2 with a homer and two walks as the three stars led the top-seeded Lancers into the semifinal round Myles Weiss allowed one run in five innings and Cody Carson pitched two scoreless innings Thousand Oaks (27-1) will play on the road Tuesday against the winner of Saturday’s game between Los Alamitos and Bonita Calabasas 2 (8 inn.): Chase Call hit his 10th homer of the season and Sam Grunberg had a solo homer in the Coyotes’ quarterfinal loss on the road Charter Oak 2: Riley Feigenbaum allowed two runs in six innings Troy May homered in for the second straight game and also had a double and Luke Piazza finished 1 for 2 with two RBIs to lead the visiting Highlanders to the quarterfinal victory Royal will host Paraclete in a semifinal game Tuesday Buena 0: The Bulldogs battled the top seed in the division until allowing the game's only run in the top of the seventh inning Sebastian Garcia pitched five scoreless innings Jacob Martinez went 2 for 3 and Nathan Silva had a hit for Buena (17-10) .  Loren Ledin is the Prep Editor for The Star He can be reached at loren.ledin@vcstar.com or 805-437-0285 FILE - Chief of the Australian Defence Force Gen Angus Campbell delivers the findings from the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force Afghanistan Inquiry arrested the first Australian veteran for an alleged murder in Afghanistan three years after a war crime investigation found that 19 Australian special forces soldiers could face charges for illegal conduct during the conflict.(Mick Tsikas/Pool Photo via AP Australia (AP) — Police have charged the first Australian veteran with murder for a killing in Afghanistan three years after a war crimes investigation found that 19 Australian special forces soldiers could face charges for illegal conduct Former Special Air Service Regiment trooper Oliver Schulz was arrested in New South Wales state and charged by police with the war crime of murder an Australian Federal Police statement said “It will be alleged he murdered an Afghan man while deployed to Afghanistan,” the statement said Schulz’s charge was mentioned late Monday in a Queanbeyan court where his lawyer did not apply for his release on bail Schulz was remanded in custody to appear in a Sydney court on May 16 broadcast helmet camera video in 2020 of a soldier it said was Schulz shooting an Afghan man in 2012 in a wheat field in Uruzgan province who was awarded the Commendation for Gallantry for his service in Afghanistan faces a potential sentence of life in prison if convicted Police are working with the Office of the Special Investigator an Australian investigation agency established in 2021 to build cases against elite SAS and Commando Regiments troops who served in Afghanistan between 2005 and 2016 Australia’s most highly decorated member of the armed services when he left the SAS in 2013 has been accused by former colleagues of unlawful treatment of prisoners who was awarded the Victoria Cross and the Medal for Gallantry for his service in Afghanistan His defamation trial against The Sydney Morning Herald The Age and The Canberra Times newspapers ended in July 2022 but a judgment has yet to be announced More than 39,000 Australian military personnel served in Afghanistan during the 20 years until the 2021 withdrawal Many are students who study nearby at Ritsumeikan Asia-Pacific University (APU) and work part-time at the hotels around town Others have come to man the fishing boats and shipyards that the ageing and shrinking local population can no longer fully staff This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “Hiji hajis” Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents Ahead of the vote on May 3rd, politics has flipped The country is making it first big bet on semiconductors This one could be riskier than their last major crisis in 2019 After the Kashmir attack, military action is possible but comes with huge risks (This is part of our continuing series, Lost Kinjo. It is funded by the California Civil Liberties Project of the California State Library & the Takahashi Family Foundation.) You can find our past stories for this series here any trace of Oxnard’s former Japantown in Southern California has mostly vanished Japanese signs and chatter have been replaced with Hispanic restaurants Oxnard’s Japanese American population has been nearly halved and its history endangered but still the former community that inhabited Oxnard Blvd the Western Agricultural Contracting Company an owner-interest oriented contracting company was disbanded and the immediate unrest was temporarily quelled.  During this time, Japanese Americans built a small community between 4th and 8th Streets mostly concentrated on Saviers Road (now Oxnard Blvd.) language schools and residences in the 1920s solidified and fully established the Japanese American Oxnard community It became a central hub for local Japanese households to congregate Japanese Americans have portrayed their resilience throughout the incarceration camps and government laws aimed to deter their success there are a few remaining farmers and flower growers that have been around since WWII these farming families and flower growers have been a part of an important organization that allowed agricultural workers from different cities to meet in one designated location Whether it’s their beautifully arranged selection of high quality vibrant flowers that breathes life into any room or the way their fresh flowers delivered every morning from Oxnard tickle the inside of your nostrils with a delicate aroma it’s proof that the West Flower Growers have been in the flower business for generations Stall 13 in the SoCal Flower Market has a special allure in the diversity of their flowers snapdragons and a variety of other flowers walking through the West Flower Growers’s stall feels like taking a brisk stroll into a small fantastical garden filled with popping colors Participating in the market for over 60 years the West Flower Growers has an incredible amount of experience in flower growing Such deep-rooted history in the market allowed them to perfect their growing process connect with customers and become one of the longer lasting flower retailers Endow Nursery is a small family run flower nursery operating in Carpinteria nearly an hour and a half away from the market in DTLA It is managed by the third and fourth generations of the Endow family Participating in the SoCal Flower Market since 1925 Endow Nursery is one of the few remaining longtime Japanese florists.  Originating from an informal market for LA florists to trade and sell flowers in the 1910s the SoCal Flower Market grew to become one of LA’s most prominent weekend activities as florists across LA and neighboring counties gather to sell their specialty flowers and potted plants Now a beautiful melting pot full of business owners from different backgrounds the flower market used to primarily be run exclusively by Japanese American farmers and florists.  Since their migration from Japan in the late 1800s many Japanese Issei (first generation) turned to agriculture for two common reasons: many came from farming towns like Hiroshima and Yamaguchi and established flower farms south of San Francisco others were forced to pursue agriculture after facing discrimination in their preferred career paths like engineering and teaching Many of these farmers and florists relocated to Southern California and bolstered LA’s flower industry after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake With a total of 54 Issei flower growers, the Southern California Flower Market officially began in 1912 as a trade organization for Japanese cut flower growers and sellers in the greater Los Angeles area where businesses officially incorporated both a cooperative professional organization and a place to sell flowers when the SoCal Flower Market expanded and moved to its present location and eventually establishing the Southern California Floral Association in 1933 the SoCal Flower Market was an informal and small district mainly for other growers to sell and trade products Japanese Issei persevered and found workarounds like purchasing and leasing land under their American-named children instead of perennials (flowers that regrow yearly) and — regardless of being entirely Issei — leased land under their incorporated business the Southern California Flower Market.  an American writer and journalist who has written and researched extensively on the history of the Flower Market and Japanese American experiences Issei business owners “gave the power of the market to the American-born the Nisei,” and transferred ownership of the property to their children who had American names it couldn’t prevent their inevitable demise President Franklin Roosevelt enacted Executive Order 9066 in 1942 forcing Western Japanese Americans into incarceration camps in California this also meant Issei and Nisei were forced out of their homes most were sent to the prison known as Manzanar Thrown into uninsulated barracks there were no private rooms barracks were furnished only with cots and coal-burning stoves people had to use communal bathrooms and laundry rooms with limited hot water and they were surrounded by barbed wire fences stationed with armed guards.  Families inside the camps established a sense of community and passed the time through various sports like baseball and basketball or set up makeshift schools, churches, newspapers, and even gardens “Leaders of the flower market would occasionally have meetings they even made arrangements with European American nurseries to send trees to Manzanar to make it more hospitable,” Hirahara said During the internment period the European American’s LA Flower Market prevented empty shops from withering away They maintained stores and nurtured leftover plants they tried to keep stores intact for Japanese American florists to return Families had varying experiences returning to the SoCal Flower Market Some businesses seamlessly continued with their shops while others had to close down due to loss of customers or were forced to sell their stores at a cut rate for immediate cash stores filled with business owners of varying ethnicities and backgrounds birthing the culturally rich flower market seen today The same is true for many of the cities in SoCal Chicago — being the most popular relocation destination with over 6,000 former internees migrating— had the most diverse career selection outside of the typical agricultural work including opportunities from defense-related industries Some even saw success in startups and small businesses.  younger Nisei were attracted to New York’s job opportunities as they ended up as salesclerks Others attended New York universities like Columbia or New York University and ended up opening their own businesses The new migrants were also immediately welcomed and absorbed into the preexisting New York Japanese American community with pre-established churches with a majority of the original Japanese Americans in New York being young Nisei internees saw a smooth transition into the new community.  The remaining farmers and florists who stayed in the LA area moved to neighboring counties like San Bernardino, Orange County, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Ventura. Long standing SoCal Market shops like Endow Nursery, Yamaoka Flowers and West Flower Growers are present examples of people who have resettled in Santa Barbara and Ventura County These areas were far enough from the LA discrimination but close enough to access the city to deliver flowers and agricultural goods those who returned to these cities saw a complete change in their neighborhood After fulfilling a sugar beet farming contract for the government Tsugio Hiji attended UCLA in pursuit of becoming a dentist but was called back home to help with the family farm He and his family relocated to Oxnard and Hiji Brothers was officially established With the closure of such a historically rich business that’s been ingrained within the community comes the loss of a place where generations of family friends and community members shared memories It comes with the loss of a piece of history and experiences continue to live within the modern community through former employees and family members With the help of community centers like Ventura County Japanese American Citizens League and the San Fernando Valley Japanese American Community Center and histories are preserved and taught to the public while also providing a space for people in local neighborhoods and summer festivals help protect Japanese American traditions and culture while honoring people who are in and have been a part of the community Even historic sites like the Oxnard Buddhist Church are still active Deeply rooted farms and nursery shops that have been around the SoCal Flower Market’s establishment like West Flower Growers are still widely present in Oxnard as well.  Although Oxnard’s Japantown may have diminished and prior businesses were succeeded by newer ones after WWII the Japanese American community is still strong within Oxnard as descendants from prior farmers and survivors of the camps continue to flourish while local community centers and historic sites offer an area to gather for regular social meetups As more people learn about Japanese American history and community centers receive more support perhaps the potential for the revitalization of these towns can still blossom.  We are currently funded by our readers and such charitable foundations as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, AARP, Report for America/GroundTruth Project & Koo and Patricia Yuen of the Yuen Foundation.’ You can make your tax-deductible donations here via credit card Stock donations and donations via DAFs are also welcomed Contact us at info @ asamnews dot com for more info.  I absolutely loved your story about Japanese Culture This article beautifully honors the legacy of the Kinjo family and their significant contributions to Southern California’s flower market The history of their flower-growing business reflects not only a deep cultural tradition but also the challenges and triumphs that come with maintaining a family-owned enterprise across generations It’s moving to read about their dedication to quality and the sense of community they built through their work The piece also shines a light on the broader impact of Asian-American farmers in the region offering a rich perspective on the intersection of culture This is a poignant reminder of the often-overlooked stories behind the agricultural industry and the enduring value of family traditions We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info Whether you’re picking up a club for the first time ever casual and fun events are the perfect way to develop your game Women’s One Days are NOT a Mass Golf Tournament instead they aim to introduce more women to the world of golf in a fun and inviting fashion through a variety of player development events and partnerships throughout the season By participating in some (or all!) of our player development initiatives we aim to help you quickly learn about everything golf has to offer It is through events like these that we can reach our goal of making this sport more accessible and approachable for all or have been playing golf for many seasons It is not required to be a member of Mass Golf to participate in these events, but it is encouraged. For those who are not yet Mass Golf Members, it is very quick and easy to JOIN TODAY Fore the Ladies is returning to Boston for a golf clinic If you’ve never picked up a golf club or have recently picked up the game (within the last 2-3 years) – this event at KOHR Golf Center is for you Golf instructors will teach you the basics of the game and more so you’re ready to take your next step in golf – whether that be lessons Ask all of your burning questions about the game meet other golfers and have a fun afternoon with us at the golf club For more info on Fore the Ladies and to see photos from our past events EVENT SOLD OUT, JOIN WAITLIST: Boston FTL Golf Clinic Join us for a FREE fun day of golf in celebration of International Women’s Golf Day We will be working on the basics of the game (putting chipping and full swing) and after the clinic we will take those skills out onto the course to play a few holes Please follow the link to fill out the form to register for FREE Session Time 2:00 PM-3:30 PM runs for four weeks Fore the Ladies is teaming up with KOHR Golf Center for a multi-week golf clinic series Whether you’re brand new to the game or participate in golf instruction alongside like-minded golfers Each week will focus on a different skill so you can walk away with practice drills These events are limited in capacity to ensure each participant receives detailed and hands-on instruction EVENT SOLD OUT, JOIN WAITLIST: Boston FTL Golf Clinic Join us for golden hour to relax and enjoy a Par 3 – 9 holes of golf This event is the perfect time of day to play paired with instruction from a club professional Fore the Ladies is returning to Boston for a golf clinic TO REGISTER: Boston FTL Golf Clinic Join us for a morning of golf – whether you’re on the Cape for vacation this event is the perfect time to play 9 holes of golf Spend a forever summer morning with us on Cape Cod For more information or questions about any of the One Days Find a Club Club Services Members Now! for Clubs Club Contact Update Form World Handicap System™ The Links at Mass Golf Audubon Certified Golf Courses Championships Women’s Championships Women’s Team Tournaments Team & Parent/Child Tournaments Women’s Cup Matches Men’s Team Matches Future Sites USGA® Team Massachusetts Regional Events Delta Player of the Year Member Days Women’s One Days Charity Events Golf Travel Game Improvement with KOHR Golf Ways To Enjoy Golf Rules of Golf Member Discounts Handicapping Student Member Program Arbella Insurance Program Publication: The Massachusetts Golfer E-Newsletter Women’s Newsletter Hole-in-One Program Volunteers Site Design by RainCastle Communications, Inc. the chances of another intervention in Libya are steadily increasing Islamic State may be retreating in Iraq and under pressure in Syria At a meeting in Rome on February 2nd of the international coalition against Islamic State (IS) That followed talks in Paris on January 22nd in which General Joe Dunford the chairman of America’s Joint Chiefs of Staff agreed with his French opposite number that they were “looking to take decisive military action” against IS in Libya It has since been confirmed that American and British special forces are already on the ground there in small numbers This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “The next front against Islamic State” The disqualification of another opposition candidate bodes ill for democracy Amid constant conflict, the country’s economy can’t catch a break Why a dirty fuel remains stubbornly important on the continent America’s evangelicals may be Ahmed al-Sharaa’s most important allies Ali Khamenei has no choice but to engage with the Great Satan Registered in England and Wales. No. 236383 | Registered office: The Adelphi, 1-11 John Adam Street, London, WC2N 6HT | VAT Reg No: GB 340 436 876 “which means we can strike terrorists and targets without American boots on the ground.”   This explanation connotes a neat and clean way of conducting counterterrorism operations with little overhead It assumes that America can strike terrorists anywhere at any time while reducing the costs of doing so and a much more complicated story emerges for Biden’s apparent decision to double-down on the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles And the alleged explosives were water bottles Because the United States has virtually no personnel in Afghanistan the prospects for another misfire are now much higher The lack of proper surveillance and reconnaissance increases the likelihood for more errant strikes The drones themselves are also not a costless proposition. In 2019, the Defense Department requested nearly $10 billion to procure an additional 3,500 drones to enable remote-warfare, according to a report filed by the Center for the Study of the Droneat Bard College Compared to the previous year’s budget submission these figures constituted a 25 percent increase in requested funding and over a 300 percent increase in the number of requested platforms they discount the wider scope of resources and personnel that provide the backbone of strikes the use of OTH strikes might seem like the perfect way to fulfill Biden’s promise of both protecting Americans against terrorism while extricating U.S the reality appears a lot costlier and risker Access to a base in Central Asia would address the logistical burdens imposed by flying armed drones from Qatar military maintain a higher “near certainty” standard of no civilian casualties when conducting strikes “our strikes in Afghanistan going forward will be under a higher standard not a purely military matter.” Meeting that standard will require partnerships with some countries that might otherwise seem unsavory or contrary to U.S India could easily recapitalize these drones to surveil and strike terrorists in Afghanistan In sum, the use of armed drones for an over-the-horizon counterterrorism strategy in Afghanistan is an effective sound-bite. It implies conflict elsewhere. It also has the virtue of placating the public’s desire for riskless and humane war which encourages people to focus more on drones themselves rather than the elaborate array of bases and personnel that enable strikes in the first place Their use going forward may lack corroborating intelligence otherwise required to balance the targeted killing of terrorists with the protection of innocent civilians The strategic appeal of using drone strikes in Afghanistan The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the United States Department of the Army The U.S.-Ukraine minerals agreement is not a diplomatic breakthrough and will not end the war but it is a significant success for Ukraine both in the short term and — if it is ever in fact implemented — in the longer term It reportedly does not get Ukraine the security “guarantees” that Kyiv has been asking for. It does not commit the U.S. to fight for Ukraine, or to back up a European “reassurance force” for Ukraine. And NATO membership remains off the table. Given its basic positions, there is no chance of the Trump administration shifting on these points But since the Ukraine peace process appeared to run out of steam and Trump threatened to “walk away” from the talks Kyiv and Moscow have been engaged in an elaborate diplomatic dance of semi-proposals and hints to try to ensure that if Trump does walk away he will blame the other side for the talks’ failure This agreement makes it far more likely that he will blame Russia, and therefore that he will continue military and intelligence aid to Ukraine. He may also, as threatened, try to impose additional sanctions on Russia — though given the resistance of most of the world to these sanctions, and tensions over tariffs between the U.S. and Europe it is not at all clear how effective new sanctions would be military and intelligence aid will not win the war for Ukraine nor allow it to drive the Russians from occupied territory It will however help the Ukrainian army to slow down Russia’s advance on the ground and impose heavy casualties on the Russian army This should not be taken by the Ukrainians or their European supporters as an excuse to maintain impossible conditions for peace that will make a settlement impossible; because the military and economic odds are still strongly against Ukraine and a collapse of Ukraine’s exhausted troops is a real possibility it will make it more likely that Russia will abandon or heavily qualify its impossible demands for example for Ukrainian disarmament and withdrawal from additional territory it is clearly far more favorable for Ukraine than Trump’s original — and grotesque — proposal that Ukraine should essentially hand its entire reserves of minerals to the U.S the profits of mineral extraction will be equally shared As Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said: “This agreement signals clearly to Russia that the Trump administration is committed to a peace process centered on a free … President Trump envisioned this partnership between the American people and the Ukrainian people to show both sides’ commitment to lasting peace and prosperity in Ukraine no state or person who financed or supplied the Russian war machine will be allowed to benefit from the reconstruction of Ukraine.” money go to develop mineral extraction in the Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine keep a lot of bad actors out of the country or certainly out of the area where we’re doing the digging." absolute Western security guarantees for Ukraine after a peace settlement have never really been on offer because the Biden administration and almost every other NATO government stated repeatedly that they would not fight to defend Ukraine will however ensure a strong continued U.S It greatly reduces the risk that in the event of future Russian aggression would simply look away and not respond as it has in this war with military supplies and extreme sanctions But the deal won’t be implemented until the war comes to an end. Thereafter, it will depend on the willingness of U.S private companies to invest in this sector — and that will depend on their assessment of both the risks and the profits involved For it is vital to note that this agreement does not commit the U.S government to invest in Ukraine; and to judge by the present profitability of minerals extraction in the world it is not certain that private investors will see major benefits from doing so China has developed its rare-earth sector on such a scale mainly through huge state-directed investment; and no-one has so far done a thorough analysis of the actual profitability and scale of most of these Ukrainian resources only a tactical success for Ukraine and one over which there hang many questions; but nonetheless one that hopefully will lead Moscow to respond with some serious and acceptable peace proposals of its own The Bunker appears originally at the Project on Government Oversight and is republished here with permission would love to see larger production rates.” referring to the Air Force’s piddling 100-bomber buy “Which is something that we and the government decided was important for the optionality to support the scenarios that they have been looking at to increase the current build rate.” “Some defense analysts believe that the Air Force should plan to purchase at least 200 B-21s.” Gotta wonder how much of a bonus the PR whiz pocketed who added “at least 200.” While the bomber may have some ability to elude enemy radar It rarely works and only serves to delay the program (And for all those years you thought the “F” in F-16s meaning a supercharged F-35 would cost $150 million.) Why should it take losing a contract to compel a contractor to build something nearly as good for half the price No doubt there’s some Lockheed hyperbole there But it’s no more hyperbolic than the hypersonic frenzy used to justify the F-47 Here’s an inside tip: Foreign foes are never as threatening as those with an (in)vested interest in fighting them claim weapons are never as good when they roll off the assembly line as they are at conception “Generative AI is not just a tactical threat; it is a strategic disruptor that challenges the foundations of belief AI could generate a fake living bad guy to declare: “You missed.” → Shield of dreams Declaring you’re going to build a “Golden Dome” missile shield and building it are two very different things → Walking the plank James Holmes of the Naval War College autopsies the 1989 blast aboard the USS Iowa that killed 47 sailors and details how and why the Navy compounded the tragedy with its disgraceful investigation → War game examines a 1967 magazine article that argued that war is “the essential economic stabilizer of modern societies.” It was a crafty hoax Thanks for infecting The Bunker with your attention this week. Consider forwarding it to friends so they can subscribe here Amid questions of the over-militarization of U.S foreign policy and the illusion of global primacy the European Union is charging headlong in the opposite direction appearing to be eagerly grasping for an American-esque primacist role Not everybody in the EU is on board though. Countries like Hungary, Slovakia, Italy and Spain are known for their less than enthusiastic embrace of the rearmament fervor a voice of dissent came from the European Parliament elected directly by the EU citizens — unlike the Commission As the foreign policy decisions are taken by consensus the purpose of this maneuver is to eliminate potential vetoes from skeptical member countries And Spain and Italy treat migration and failing states in the southern Mediterranean Yet the Commission’s move represents a significant overreach sidelining the Parliament and potentially some member states the Commission seeks to fast-track SAFE without the scrutiny required for such a transformative shift The Legal Committee’s rejection of that route highlights the Commission’s failure to justify this urgency or explain why alternative legal routes were ignored currently the most popular party in France) such as the foreign affairs and defense and security committees have not so far addressed the issue with strategic clarity — such as asking questions about SAFE’s purpose or why such a massive military buildup is necessary with such urgency Even more worryingly, the EU’s militarization drive exacerbates the neglect of diplomacy. While the elites are indulging in these delusions, EU citizens seem to be much more skeptical about dramatic increase in defense spending has neither the capability to sustain this path like being buffered by two oceans and situated between unthreatening neighbors A vote in the Legal Committee won’t address all these issues, but it does offer a tiny glimmer of hope. It could slow the militarization process, allowing elected representatives and member states to scrutinize SAFE’s long-term ramifications, challenge the Commission’s fear-driven overreach, and prioritize diplomacy with adversaries. If the Commission persists in its power grab, it is liable to challenge, by the European Parliament or member states, in the EU Court of Justice. About UsPrivacy PolicyPitchRS@quincyinst.org©2025 Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft ©2025 Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft Subscribe now to our weekly round-up and don't miss a beat with your favorite RS contributors and reporters that was all that separated the Camarillo High girls basketball team from its drive toward a second consecutive championship appearance that margin was enough to scuttle the Scorpions' dreams A taut back-and-forth contest came down to a closing possession Wednesday night Camarillo held the ball in the waning seconds and the chance to pull out a dramatic victory in the quarterfinals of the CIF-Southern Section Division 2AA playoffs and the visiting Wolverines held on for a 53-52 victory over the No but we were a family all season and that's what I'll remember about this team," said Scorpions sensational sophomore guard Alyssa Marin including two clutch 3-pointers in the final quarter Madeline Weight tallied 13 points and Sierra Richey finished with eight points as Camarillo closed out its season at 25-3 Madelyn Brauer scored a game-high 16 points for Alison Niguel including 10 points in the decisive final quarter The Wolverines improve to 19-7 and move into the semifinals Coach Mike Prewitt said his team suffered some uncharacteristic lapses on offense in taking the loss then we went through a stretch when we couldn't hit anything," he said Prewitt said he held nothing but good thoughts about his team that was hoping to reach the CIF-SS title game for the second consecutive year "We won 25 games and nobody expected us to do that," said Prewitt "We graduated three key seniors off last year's team and still we put together a great season Aliso Niguel's Brauer played like a senior down the stretch She scored 10 of the Wolverines' final 12 points "Everyone impacted the stat sheet and that's what it takes to win a game like this," she said "I felt like we played great defense after the tough start then failed to score over nearly four minutes it was a night for streaks and counter-streaks A 9-0 run enabled Aliso Niguel to build a 25-17 lead late in the second quarter Camarilo promptly responded with a 9-2 spurt including a shot by Niya Carrera at the buzzer that forged a 26-26 tie at halftime Camarillo appeared to take charge with a 9-2 run — punctuated by treys from Marin and Jocel DeLeon — that opened up a 47-41 lead with just over 5:30 remaining only to have Marin nail a 3-pointer with 2:04 remaining for a 50-50 tie Brauer sank a free throw and hit a basket for a 53-50 lead Camarillo's Telyssa Samuel responded with an inside bucket to trim the deficit to 53-52 with 1:18 Aliso Niguel failed to score on its subsequent possession which set up Camarillo for one last chance SPLC and Florida Decides Healthcare File Lawsuit Challenging DeSantis’ Attack on Direct Democracy — Read More ‘Patriot’ groups have long seen the government as their primary enemy three members of an antigovernment “Patriot” group called the Kansas Security Force were arrested as they allegedly finalized plans to blow up an apartment complex housing more than 100 mostly Somali-born Muslim immigrants and a small mosque the mass murder might have rivaled Timothy McVeigh’s 1995 slaughter of 168 people in Oklahoma City the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in American history The three Kansans— alleged ringleader Patrick Stein both 49-year-olds from Liberal — had formed a subgroup called the Crusaders which the FBI infiltrated with a confidential source who taped conversations and attended secret planning meetings The three men were charged with conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction “The only good Muslim is a dead Muslim,” Stein allegedly told his comrades I’m going to enjoy shooting you in the head When we go on operations there’s no leaving anyone behind … I guarantee if I go on a mission those little f—— are going bye-bye.” The case was a harrowing reminder of the dramatic uptick of anti-Muslim hatred in the United States in the last few years including a Klan-linked plot to mass murder Muslims with an X-ray weapon But it also highlighted how the so-called Patriot movement — composed of people who believe that the federal government is involved in a massive conspiracy against American liberties — has increasingly adopted the hatred of Muslims as a core ideological belief has always had strains of white supremacy and anti-Semitism fueled by a rapidly expanding world of anti-Muslim propagandists and the very real psychological impact of terrorism and the “War on Terror,” violent animus toward Muslims is becoming a key part of Patriot thought The story of the Crusaders is a case in point the three Crusaders conducted several surveillance operations to identify and select potential targets — among them a shopping mall frequented by Somali immigrants vehicles belonging to people of Somali descent or other Muslims and local churches that have supported Muslim refugees They marked potential targets on Google Maps using pins that were labeled “cockroaches.” was chosen as the target because it contains an apartment used as a mosque and houses nearly 120 people The area immediately surrounding the residential complex is home to another 300 to 500 Somali-born people “[t]he group brainstormed various methods of attack and arson.” Stein spoke of using a silenced .22-caliber weapon to execute residents one by one Using the wireless communications app Zello instructing his followers that the arrows be dipped in pig’s blood first And he discussed the Oklahoma City bombing saying he had at his farm supplies of the ammonium nitrate and fuel oil components that McVeigh used Officials said they seized an array of weapons The men had decided to pack four vehicles with explosives park them at the four corners of the West Mary Street complex and detonate them remotely using cell phones with the men reportedly hoping to “wake up” other radicals and start a war against Muslims “The only f—— way this country’s ever going to get turned around is it will be a bloodbath and it will be a nasty “Unless a lot more people in this country wake up and smell the f—— coffee and decide they want this country back … we might be too late if they do wake up … I think we can get it done But it isn’t going to be nothing nice about it.” The Kansas Security Force to which the three accused plotters belonged shares part of its name with a much larger antigovernment coalition called the Three Percent Security Force The leader of that coalition is Chris Hill (Hill claimed to the Intelligence Report that there are several groups called the Kansas Security Force and that the one he is associated with did not include the alleged plotters.) Hill is another example of the injection of anti-Muslim hatred into the Patriot movement of which the “Three Percent” movement is a part which most historians of the period dispute Hill led the Georgia chapter of his coalition in an armed demonstration against the construction of a mosque near Atlanta with one protester wearing a T-shirt marked with “Islam is of the Devil.” In September “Right over there this is going to be a future ISIS training group This is where you’re going to see terrorism taking hold in Newton County.” County commissioners cancelled a meeting on the mosque the same month after viewing “uncivil threats” on a video made by Hill The Three Percent movement has been cited before as a prime example of the Islamophobia now seen in Patriot groups But another important case is that of the much more organized Oath Keepers another antigovernment Patriot group that claims to have some 30,000 members mostly former and present members of law enforcement the military or first responder organizations Take Two,” that says Islam and international socialism have teamed up against Western nationalism Muslim refugees in Europe represent a second Tet offensive a reference to the 1968 infiltration of South Vietnam by Vietcong guerrilla fighters who then launched a surprise offensive Bracken blames “Eurocrat elites” for open European Union borders saying they purposely have created “a wide path for the onrushing Muslim hijra immigration invasion.” an antigovernment novelist and former Navy SEAL also describes Islam as a “ringworm infection [that] is dead and barren within the ring but flares up when it parasitically feeds off the healthy The essay also alleges that native Europeans are being thrown out of their homes to provide shelter for Muslim refugees — a complete falsehood “These men are going to enter local houses demanding to be taken in as boarders — or else,” Bracken claims small migrant children will be held up in front as human shields for their emotional blackmail value Muslim migrants will be attempting to move inside of German homes and apartments seeking heat and food and the young Muslim men will be seeking undefended infidel or kafir women to slake their lust (which is their right who has publicly claimed to be no conspiracy theorist arguably the most prolific and unhinged conspiracy theorist operating in America today “We understand they’re [the government] doing a full spectrum just as they’re doing on Europe,” Rhodes said the obvious ‘Tet Two,’ as Matt Bracken calls it They’re intentionally leaving the borders open in Europe in Europe and the same thing is being done in this country.” they dovetail in substantial ways with the conspiracist orientation of the larger Patriot movement the Patriot movement has swelled dramatically since the 2008 election of Barack Obama enabling or even actively aiding a hostile Muslim invasion These cases are just the tip of the iceberg who leads a Muslim-bashing group called the Bureau of American Islamic Relations (BAIR) organized an armed protest outside an Islamic worship center near Dallas in February 2016 He called his rally “Veterans Before Refugees,” but his real purpose was to savage Islam — a fact that becomes obvious from a glance at Wright’s Facebook page “That’s what my group does,” he wrote last year Ted Cruz (R-Texas) proposed that authorities “patrol and secure” Muslim neighborhoods we show up in their neighborhoods armed and let them know they’re being watched and if they f— up my guys will take em [sic] out a local chapter of ACT for America — a hardline anti-Muslim group led by a propagandist named Brigitte Gabriel — organized a late 2015 rally against refugees (that is Muslim refugees) at the Capitol building in Olympia The Liberty for All III% militia out of Yakima Videos of the event show the Three Percenters patrolling the area with guns Matt Shea — a right-wing politician and antigovernment champion who formed a local chapter of ACT in Spokane in June 2016 — honored Anthony Bosworth the leader of the Liberty for All III% militia It was just one more example of the overlap and crossover of antigovernment radicals and anti-Muslim activists Bosworth is known for having been involved in the January 2016 standoff in Burns the state’s Three Percenter chapter held two anti-refugee rallies in late 2015 refugees coming from Islamic hotbeds of terrorism don’t you think that poses a threat to Idaho communities?” shouted III% of Idaho spokesman Chris McIntire into a bullhorn at one of the rallies the arrest last summer of several juveniles for the alleged sexual assault of a 5-year-old girl set off an anti-Muslim firestorm that was exploited ruthlessly by the right-wing media When ACT leader Brigitte Gabriel came to Twin Falls to speak in August 2016 the III% of Idaho group provided security for her at a number of different events The fact that the details of the assault had been grossly exaggerated seemed to have no impact The same kind of convergence of anti-Muslim and antigovernment groups has been visible in Montana as well In one March 2016 nativist rally in Missoula Gina Satterfield of the American Security Rally of Montana — another Patriot-like group — said that she was there to “protect our constitutional republic that is under attack by our government siding with the U.N The date the Crusaders from Kansas allegedly chose for their proposed massacre was Nov That fact seemed to underline the role that the election — featuring vituperative attacks on Muslims by Cruz and Donald Trump among others — played in feeding Islamophobia The Southern Poverty Law Center has seen repeatedly over the years how rhetoric from figures like presidential candidates and others in the public eye can fuel that kind of hatred and violence the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding came up with similar findings in a study It found that spikes in anti-Muslim sentiment typically occur during election cycles — not so much in the aftermath of Islamist terror attacks There’s little doubt that certain politicians and activists like Brigitte Gabriel are feeding the fires of hatred and religious violence And President-elect Trump’s appointments of anti-Muslim ideologues suggest that that will continue But the convergence of the Patriot movement which has been marked by political violence since first emerging in the 1990s and the anti-Muslim movement that has surged more recently While Patriots may see a White House ally in Trump — and therefore lose some of their animus toward the federal government — they are finding new enemies in Islam as the case of the Crusaders and their alleged bomb plot reflects shows just how deadly the consequences for American Muslims could be tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization (EIN: 63-0598743) The Southern Poverty Law Center400 Washington AvenueMontgomery Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker The Catholic Church in the European Union Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union Nemet follows the elaboration of the COMECE contribution on the European integration of the Western Balkans prepared in close dialogue with the International Bishops’ Conference Nemet will participate in the public lunch debate “Western Balkans and the EU: next steps…?” organised by COMECE and KAS is open to the public (and to journalists) Nemet will also meet with Church authorities and EU officials from the European Commission and the European External Action Service to exchange perspectives on the EU integration for the region of South-East Europe and the role of Churches in this process Nemet will celebrate a Holy Mass in English on Thursday 14th of June 2018 at 17:45 A Press Conference will take place at COMECE on Thursday 14th of June from 14:00 to 14:45 Journalists interested to participate are kindly invited to register by sending an e-mail request to COMECE Press Office For interview requests and other media enquiries please contact COMECE Communication Officer Linkedin) will be updated constantly with photos and video interviews Journalists can freely use this material by crediting COMECE Japanese version Staring out from an ancient piece of pottery the mysterious face of a bearded man has given scientists a unique glimpse of what the first settlers of Fiji may have looked like Researchers say the "extraordinary discovery" is a vital clue in mapping out how the South Pacific came to be inhabited some 3,000 years ago suggesting the first direct link to islands some thousands of kilometers away Thought to be the work of the Lapita people -- a long-lost race which originated near modern-day Taiwan then migrated to Polynesia -- the fragment is also at least 200 years older than any other piece found in Fiji "This is the first time that a clearly recognizable face design made in three dimensions on a piece of Lapita pottery has been found in Fiji," said a statement from the University of the South Pacific Preliminary analysis shows that the eerie-looking face consists of a prominent raised nose said Roselyn Kumar of the University of the South Pacific's Institute of Applied Sciences There are also designs that suggest what might be head-hair and crescent shapes on the base which were possibly intended to represent beard-hair The find therefore gives researchers an opportunity to gaze on the countenance of Fiji's first inhabitants from whom modern Polynesians are believed to be descended But equally significant is that it is the first time that a facial design has been found on Lapita pottery outside a group of islands north of Papua New Guinea -- which are some 3,400km away from Fiji "As such it represents an extraordinary discovery," the university said The find made it possible to conclude that the early people of Fiji had at some stage come from the far-off island chain It could go some way towards settling the long archaeological debate on the settling of Polynesia -- a vast triangle of islands from Hawaii in the north to New Zealand in the south-east and Rapanui or Easter Island in the east The new face fragment was found near Natadola Beach Around 60 pottery pieces were found during excavations and radiocarbon dating established the shard with the face design was 3,260 years old -- whereas Fiji's next oldest-known Lapita settlement goes back only 3,000 years It was possible that Natadola was the first place of human settlement in Fiji He added that the analysis suggested that the designs were made using the unique Lapita technique of pot decoration known as dentate stamping whereby lines are made from a series of tiny regularly-spaced dots applied to the pottery before it was fired "It was a very time-consuming and precise technique used to create intricate designs perhaps associated with ancestor worship," he said More than 100 Lapita sites have been located over an area from New Guinea to western Polynesia US archaeologist Edward Gifford gave the race their name after mishearing the indigenous name of a site in New Caledonia where he was working in 1952 He had found shards of distinctive pottery there and recognized a link to similar finds to the north in New Guinea 2023 (WAFA) –  Three Palestinian journalists were Tuesday morning killed after Israeli warplanes bombed their workplace in the Gaza Strip WAFA correspondent said that the occupation warplanes bombed the Hajji Tower on Institutions Street in the Gaza Governorate a resident of the Rafah Governorate in the south who works as editor-in-chief of Al-Khamsa News website a resident of Gaza and a photographer for Khabar Agency He pointed out that journalist Hisham Al-Nawajha suffered serious injuries and was admitted to the intensive care room at Al-Shifa Medical Complex where he was later pronounced dead Since the beginning of its aggression against the Gaza Strip the occupation forces have deliberately targeted journalists which led to the killing of a number of them in order to obscure the truth of their crimes committed against the Palestinian people Israeli warplanes launched violent and unprecedented raids on al-Rimal neighborhood killing many Palestinians and injuring others Today's print edition Home Delivery A plan by the Beppu Muslim Church to open the first cemetery in the Kyushu region used exclusively for Islamic burials has encountered stiff opposition from local residents Islamic religious laws strictly forbid cremation and require deceased Muslims to be buried with traditional Islamic rites.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); where the vast majority of people are cremated only a limited number of cemeteries offer proper burial grounds for the growing Muslim population They exist in Hokkaido and the Kanto region In a time of both misinformation and too much information quality journalism is more crucial than ever.By subscribing Your subscription plan doesn't allow commenting. To learn more see our FAQ Sponsored contents planned and edited by JT Media Enterprise Division Japanese version