migrants trying to save their lives - where is canada?

[Darth Penguin]

Pope asks all European parishes to take in a refugee family

Pope Francis has called on European parishes and religious communities to offer shelter to a migrant family. The Pope’s appeal came during the Sunday Angelus.

"May Every parish, every religious community, every monastery, every sanctuary of Europe, take in one family" Pope Francis appealed.
To the crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square, the Pope said the faithful are called to offer a concrete gesture of hope as indicated in the Gospel.
“Before the tragedy of tens of thousands of refugees fleeing death in conflict and hunger and are on a journey of hope, the Gospel – he said - calls us to be close to the smallest and to those who have been abandoned”.
Reminding the faithful of the upcoming Jubilee Year of Mercy, the Pope said that offering shelter to the needy is a “concrete act of preparation” for the Holy Year.
And turning specifically to his European brother bishops, the Pope asked them to support his appeal and said that in the coming days two Vatican parishes will each be taking in a family of refugees.
Meanwhile, Francis’ catechesis found inspiration in the miracle of the healing by Jesus of a deaf and mute man – symbol of non-believers.
“… His deafness – Pope Francis said – symbolizes his incapacity to listen and to understand not only the words of men, but also the Word of God”.
Jesus healed the man and – the Pope said – “unblocked" his capacity to enter into communication with others and with God. This story – he explained – speaks of us because we too are often inaccessible and closed within ourselves.
And urging families, and couples, and communities and parishes not to be closed but to be open to the great family of the Church, the Pope said we must listen to God who speaks to us and communicate his Word to those who do not know it or who have forgotten it.
Pope Francis also prayed for a fruitful encounter of the bishops of Venezuela and Colombia who are currently meeting to talk about the critical situation between the two nations following the economic crisis triggered by Venezuelan closure of borders.

[gryphon]

[Darth Penguin]

Activist convoy drives to Hungary

A convoy of cars driven by German and Austrian activists has crossed into Hungary to pick up migrants and help them reach western Europe.

Thousands - many of whom initially fled conflict in Syria - have made their way through Austria since Hungary removed restrictions on transit on Friday.
Buses and special trains have been taking them from the Hungarian border to Vienna and on to Germany.
The Pope said every Catholic parish in Europe should host a migrant family.
Speaking during the Angelus prayer, Pope Francis appealed for "every parish, every religious community, every monastery, every sanctuary in Europe" to take in a family.

[DaveP]

cbc's cross country checkup radio program's topic is of course:
Should Canada open its doors wider to take in more refugees?

http://www.cbc.ca/radio/checkup

just click on the 'listen live' button, as i try to mention for those who don't know
it is a live 2 hour cross country, (haha) phone in radio show - no breaks for news etc.
and of course can be listened to anytime, although i like the live thingy.

rex is still on his summer break so andrew nichols is filling in as guest host.
it is on on sunday afternoon:
at 1 pm PT, 2 pm MT, 3 pm CT, 4 pm ET, 5 pm AT and 5:30 pm NT.

Listening now.

[Darth Penguin]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his country is 'too small' to take in desperate Syrian refugees.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his country is 'too small' to take in desperate Syrian refugees.
The leader of the right-wing Likud Party said Israel was 'not indifferent' to the migrant crisis but resolutely claimed his country must defend its borders.
It comes as Europe struggles to deal with the greatest refugee crisis since World War Two.
The harrowing image of three-year-old boy Aylan Kurdi - his lifeless and limp body pictured lying face down on a Turkish beach - sparked an international outcry over the human cost of the crisis

But speaking today at a cabinet session, Mr Netanyahu said Israel was a 'very small country that lacks demographic and geographic depth'.
He added: 'Israel is not indifferent to the human tragedy of the refugees from Syria and Africa.
'We have already devotedly cared for approximately 1,000 wounded people from the fighting in Syria, and we have helped them to rehabilitate their lives.
'We must control our borders, against both illegal migrants and terrorism.'

[gryphon]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his country is 'too small' to take in desperate Syrian refugees.

Israel really isnt that big a country and they have already taken in many African refugees

[DaveP]

Israel really isnt that big a country and they have already taken in many African refugees

True. Israel is half the size of Nova Scotia with 8 million people. Israel has a population density of 380 people per square kilometer. By way of comparison China, the world's most populous country, has a population density of 145 people per square kilometer. The US has a population density of 35 people per square kilometer.

[Darth Penguin]

Israel really isnt that big a country and they have already taken in many African refugees

The Israeli govt has been providing aide for several years

12/03/2013
Israel acknowledged for the first time Tuesday that it is providing humanitarian aid to victims of the civil war inside neighboring Syria, saying it has funneled food and other emergency supplies to embattled villages just across the frontier.Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon made the announcement during a visit to the Israeli-controlled side of the Golan Heights. Syrian troops and rebels have been clashing in the area for months, and hundreds of civilians have fled especially heavy fighting to neighboring Lebanon in recent days.
"We can't sit by and watch the humanitarian difficulties on the other side," Yaalon said. "We've transferred water, food, including baby food, taking into consideration that these villages are besieged and they don't have access to any other place. So therefore yes, we are assisting with humanitarian aid along the fence."

as well as the Israeli Druse community

Druse in Israel have raised NIS 10 million to support their brethren in Syria, Sheikh Maufak Tarif, the community’s spiritual leader, told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday.

The civil war there is creating Druse refugees, the sheikh said, adding that the situation was stable but stressful.

The chairman of the Druze Zionist Council for Israel, Atta Farhat, meanwhile, estimates that more than 11 million shekels have been raised from all Druse areas of the country so far, emphasizing that the fund-raising efforts are ongoing and that the Druse here are loyal to the state and respect its laws.

The Syrian Druse are in a difficult situation and need our support but there is a situation of “silent tension” with regard to them, he said, stressing that the move to provide humanitarian aid should not be seen as a political move to support one side or the other in the Syrian civil war.

Syria’s Druse community have long been loyal to President Bashar Assad while Israeli Druse have been lobbying the government to safeguard the community in Syria.

[Darth Penguin]

Israel really isnt that big a country and they have already taken in many African refugees

Israel government: Go back to Africa or go to jail

As Europe struggles to stem a spring flood of migrants from Africa and the Middle East trying to cross a deadly Mediterranean Sea, Israel has begun to toughen its stance toward refugees, telling unwanted Africans here they must leave now or face an indefinite stay in prison. Israeli authorities are sending letters to the first of 45,000 Eritrean and Sudanese refugees, informing them they have 30 days to accept Israel’s offer of $3,500 in cash and a one-way ticket home or to an unnamed third country in Africa, or face incarceration at Saharonim prison.
Israeli leaders have proclaimed that their tough approach — building a fence along the country’s border, denying work permits for illegal migrants, forcing them into a detention center in the desert — may ultimately save lives by dissuading migrants from attempting a perilous journey. Critics of the Israeli policy counter that a country built by refugees should be more accepting of those fleeing war, poverty and oppression.

[Jina]

http://pamelageller.com/2015/09/watc...n-tracks.html/

Scroll down to watch the video.

MANY of the so called refugees are ruining it for the real refugees and it will very hard to even do a check to see if if they are really refugees because many are ditching their documents to pretend they are syrians.
http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/some-mig...ylum-1.2550509

[Natalka]

Thanks for that, Jina. So very sad to see them doing that!

[Patty Smyth]

Europe will fall apart

[DaveP]

^^Hmm, it felt a bit odd for me to 'like' that post. I don't 'like' the idea of Europe falling apart but agree it could well be headed that way.

[Jina]

I'm not sure if anyone of you have seen the video about how muslims have lots of kids and europeans have 1-2, even zero, and in maybe 50 yrs (iirc) the population in Europe will be mostly muslims. The video didn't account for the fact that thousands would be let in like now.

Most of the photos I see are young males in their 20s and 30s, many of them aggressive and I don't even think they would try to integrate in the western society.

Majority of the so called refugees are not fleeing a war torn country. It's sad that the real refugees are getting lost among that are obviously migrants wanting to live in Europe. I understand people want a better life. I myself immigrated to Canada but I followed the procedures and was patient. These people saw an opportunity to get access to Europe's welfare without having to go through a process. Among all these young men claiming to be refugees, how many of them are actually extremists and terrorists? All those security checks they do at the airport in Europe are kind of obsolete now don't you think? They could just cross the border and land in Germany.

Would they actually go back to their country if it was no longer a war zone and was offered food and shelter? I don't think so.

BTW, it's sad that kids are drowning and the photo was heartbreaking, but the Kurdi family was living in Turkey in 3 years and had free housing (from what I read). They were not fleeing a war zone any more and the media should stop making people believe it was the case. They don't go to the other Arab countries because they cannot get in but westerners are known to be tolerant and kind enough to let them in no questions asked and no checks done. I feel sorry for the real asylum seekers and refugees who are genuinely trying to flee war zone.

[Jina]

Islamic State militants 'smuggled to Europe'
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-32770390
http://www.cbc.ca/m/touch/world/story/1.3077626

That was back in May and going through the Mediterranean. There's an easier access now.