a bit more from the article...

"Blonde children are a very valuable commodity in places like North Africa. It's the obvious conclusion to come to, not some far-fetched flight of fancy."

Infinately evil.

Posted by: ausinfidel at October 30, 2007 7:56 AM

From a reply, found in the JW archives, written by an imam in (currently Saudi-Arabia-celebrating) London:

Thank your for your Letter.

Of course, although we understand from your letter that you disliked our sticker, we cannot stop doing whatever we can to better the British society for all of us, including you, me and everyone else. This cannot be done without to change the British Culture, removing all the British Values and teaching the people the Islamic Values. We must continue to discuss and debate this issue openly, especially in light of the British Governments recent arrogant efforts to push corrupted values and enforce this "britishness" that has already caused so much corruption and trouble in this country and abroad.

If it wasn't for the man-made way of life in britain, we would never have seen such high levels of crime, rape, alcoholism, homosexuality, adultery, theft, burglary, exploitation and terrorism in the UK and the world today! Why should we put up with all of this and so much more corruption in the society? Rather we must continue to struggle and change the British way of life and introduce and teach the Islamic Values to all, so that all the people in Britain can flourish.

Abdul Ilaah
Webteam
www.alghurabaa.co.uk

Posted by: Hugh at October 30, 2007 8:02 AM

And this comment, from the same thread from June 2006 :

"Other Islamic values:

Slavery, sanctioned by Qur'an and Sunnah. Exhibited in 1350 years of the practice, including:

1. Tens of millions of black African slaves, a great many of them young males castrated on site, and then taken by slave coffle and dhow to the Islamic slave markets. Mortality rate: 90%.
The British stamped out the slave trade from Africa in the Persian Gulf (see J. B. Kelly, Britain and the Persian Gulf, 1795-1880 or for relevant quotes, google the book title and "Jihad Watch"); the French stopped the slave trade in North Africa. There was never a Muslim William Wilberforce, and could not be; slavery was practiced by that Perfect Man, Muhammad.

2. Millions of people from Western Europe, captured by Muslim raiders who went up and down the coasts -- not merely of nearby Italy and France, but all the way to Ireland and even, on one occasion, on Iceland, making off with a village. Looting, murdering, raping, and of course seizing Infidel slaves. For one example, see "White Gold" by Giles Milton, about Thomas Pellow of Cornwall. For more on Pellow immediately, google "Thomas Pellow" and "Jihad Watch."

3. Millions of people taken from the Balkans and the Slavic regions, and the Caucasus. Girls taken from Georgia and the Caucasus, for harems. Men and boys taken for other services.

4. The Mameluke system, the "slaves on horseback" who were such an important institution in Islam. See David Ayalon's collection of essays, "Islam and the Abode of War," especially the second essay, "Mamluk: military slavery in Egypt and Syria."

An end to slavery among the Arabs was supposedly achieved, and then only in 1962, as a result of Western pressure, in Saudi Arabia.

In truth it has never ended, for it accords with the letter and spirit of Islam. Blacks are still enslaved in Mauritania and the Sudan, and even, according to reports (and to Ayaan Hiri Ali, who once lived there), still alive and well in darkest Saudi Arabia. And those who work behind those palace walls in Saudi Arabia -- those Asian girls, from Thailand and India and the Philippines -- well, just what do you think happens to them? How different is their treatment from that of your worst imaginings about female slaves anywhere?

Occasionally a rich Saudi or Kuwaiti or other Arab couple takes along one or two of their house slaves with them to their villeggiatura in London (Park Lane, Cadogan Gardens, name your modest abode in Mayfair or Belgravia) (slavery just didn't look good)) or Virginia Water or Upperville or McLean, Virginia (kids enrolled at the Islamic school, parties for all kinds of Washington bigwigs who need to be impressed) and that domestic slave makes a run for it, and then there is a small article about it in The Times, The Telegraph, The Washington Post, and then money is passed to very expensive and effective lawyers, threats are made about oil and business contracts, and the whole thing is hushed up rather quickly.

That's Islam.

But there's so much more.

In the very same horrifying vein."

Posted by: Hugh at October 30, 2007 8:06 AM

“It would be better for him if a mill stone be hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea than that he should offend one of these little ones” (Luke 17:2)

Posted by: ausinfidel at October 30, 2007 8:39 AM

Incredible that this sort of thing still happens in the 21st century. But then again, this is what a 7th century mentality does.

Islamania needs to be dragged into this century kicking and screaming if need be or it needs to disappear. This anachronism cannot peacefully exist in this world.

Posted by: ISLAMSFORLOSERS at October 30, 2007 9:18 AM

What Hugh said...all of it.

Frankly, I am a little surprised we're surprised by this. I remember being advised and cautioned about this very problem on my high school trip to France in the '80s. We were told exactly what they looked for, and what we needed to do to avoid being caught in a situation where we'd be kidnapped.

Now, everything is brand spankin' new and a shocka to people! "Pppppbbbbbt on you people...where's your brain?" (nothing personal to us here - general disdain to those with 3-second memories...that's gettin' really old and tiresome)

Posted by: Miss_Anthrope at October 30, 2007 9:23 AM

If you don't have a sense of humor - no matter how bitter you can't survive the megatonnage of BS.

THESE are the people our 'educated' young people our 'progressive' educated young people make common cause with against the 'barbaric' West.

Posted by: poetcomic1 at October 30, 2007 9:29 AM

Stumbled across this website.

http://www.sauduction.com/12issue.html

More horror.

http://www.sauduction.com/13issue.html

Homepage.

http://www.sauduction.com/welcome.html

Posted by: arjun.sevak at October 30, 2007 9:48 AM

If that woman tourist saw a blonde girl and was suspicious- maybe she should have approached the old man and tried to buy the little girl back.

True, there may be blonde children there, but they wouldn't be carried in the way the report says. A Native Rif child that age would be made to walk- no special treatment for islamic Rif girls.

Posted by: allat at October 30, 2007 12:55 PM

"Her parents, named as official suspects in her disappearance, have always insisted that she was abducted from her bed while they dined nearby."

God - I just got to say it,can't keep quiet.

I really think the parents sold the little girl, that or they killed her. That was my 1st thought when I heard of the case.

I'm I the only one with this suspicion? Or have I developed paranoia? And you know what they say?

Posted by: allat at October 30, 2007 1:16 PM

I remember several years ago a TV investigative piece about an American beauty queen that claimed she was held kidnapped and held in Saudi Arabia.

Her claims were that she was approached for a expensive party at a private place and all expenses would be paid. The men were foreign and said that if she agree she could tell know one that she was going because important people would be there. She agreed.

A large private jet picked her up as agreed. There were already several other beautiful girls on the plane. The plane had several more stops, then the long flight. When they landed that found they were in a foreign country, Saudi Arabia.

They were escorted into a palace and told to get ready for a party. When the party started they were joined by hundreds of beautiful women from all nationalitys. They were all assigned to differant men and told to go with them. Upon entering a large palacial bedroom they were told to 'engage' with the men.

She refused and found out why they were there. She was beaten for several days and told by the other girls that had been there for a long time that she had better participate. She was informed that no one knew she was gone, where she went and no held would be coming. She was informed that this had happened to some of the others, while others stated that they were kidnapped off the street in western countries.

Over a 1 1/2 year period she got to know the girls well. She also became the muse for one prince. After many conversations with the prince during their encounters, he stated he was going to help her get away. He took her into a private treasury room and told her to take as much jewelry as she could put in her pockets. She was then hidden on a private jet and reappeared in the U.S.

Her calls to authorities, FBI and the State Department initiated a meeting to then turn around and say there was nothing to investigate, that they did not believe her. She gave them names, places, descriptions of chambers in Saudi Arabia. She explained in detail other women that were held there, including names, nationalities, physical features and birthmarks.

She was able to contact several family members of some of the missing girls, but then found out the Federal Authorities would come behind her and destroy her claim and destroy her character to the family members.

When asked could she ever prove her story, she claimed yes in two ways. She claimed that the jewelry that she brought to the U.S. was taken to Southersbys Auction House and sold. Southersby verified that the jewelry was off the charts in quality with no expense spared, and that the jewelers markings on the jewelry verified jewelers that produced for high society or royalty. Southersbys said contact the jeweler and ask them who they produced the jewelery for. The reporter doing the piece had a tough time getting ahold of the jeweler, but when he did the jeweler told him that he was contacted already and told not to speak about it and turned over all of his information. The reporter asked by who and the jeweler verified a U.S. State Department. The jewelery was sold for several millions.

She then stated the second way she could prove the story was by cross referencing dates that she had to engage men and the men that she saw or had to engage. She claimed that many of the men that came to the women were muslim, but many were western officials and delegates. She claimed to have seen many that were U.S. Senators, Congressman, Actors, CIA, and U.S. State Department. She said it would be easy to verify the date and where these people were, and if need be 'certain' markings or blemishes on some of their bodies.

She claimed that the women that were being held claimed that they were sex slaves, but when their beauty started to fade or if they got pregnant to more moved to another area. The other area was for birth only. That they had these western women producing babys that would look western.

Is the woman telling the truth? I don't even know how to find the story. Maybe someone here remembers the story or this will ring a bell with someone. I know that she was a beauty queen of something. The report occurred about 1999 or 2000.

Posted by: alaskan1000 at October 30, 2007 1:17 PM

From Hugh's post:
Rather we must continue to struggle and change the British way of life and introduce and teach the Islamic Values to all, so that all the people in Britain can flourish.

Oh yeah, flourish like the middle east has "flourished" in 1400 years. Dusty, un-plumbed, 3rd world hell holes.
GO AWAY!

Posted by: interestinconundrum at October 30, 2007 1:31 PM

I really think the parents sold the little girl, that or they killed her. That was my 1st thought when I heard of the case.

I don't believe that for a moment. There is nothing about that couple that makes me think they would want to do that.

Why would they stop with Madeleine? Why not sell the twins as well?

WSW

Posted by: Wild Slutty Womens at October 30, 2007 2:24 PM

allat: Only someone who can sell their own children can fathom an idea that the parents did that.

Posted by: Charles Martel at October 30, 2007 3:10 PM

I don't believe that for a moment. There is nothing about that couple that makes me think they would want to do that.

Why would they stop with Madeleine? Why not sell the twins as well?

WSW

Allat hasn't developed paranoia. He's just a troll.

Posted by: Spirit Of 1683 at October 30, 2007 4:48 PM

This story tells us readers and the JW staff that they are right and that the other side is wrong. This story shows a baked in evil that we are fighting. This story keeps you going after the months and years of hearing you are a bigot and just making it all up. It shows the PC crowd are fundamentally wrong about everything they say and advocate.

Posted by: Old Atlantic at October 30, 2007 4:51 PM

Martel: Go take a long walk off a short pier!

Posted by: allat at October 30, 2007 4:59 PM

The whole thing about the little girl is suspicious - beginning with the parents leaving the little girl alone in the hotel room. How could they have gone out to dinner so casually? Something is wrong there.

It is EXACTLY a person - like me - that would never leave a child alone - I would either NOT go out - or take the child with me. The world is filled with restaurants with bothersome kids or parents taking the children to the theater with pillows for them. The parents could have taken the child with them, whether she bothered them or others. If they had done so, they would have her today.

In other words, a parent that loves and cares for a child, would never leave them alone - and ESPECIALLY in a strange country - and in a hotel room. "por las cochinas dudas! (not trusting others)."

Posted by: allat at October 30, 2007 5:09 PM

There is no excuse for the lose of the little girl. MY grandparents were poor, poor, and raised nine girls. They never went to school or parenting schools, but they knew the ins and outs, and the dangers. They kept a hawkeye on the girls - never loosing track of them. They all went to school and the university, and not one of the girls were lost.

I remember my aunt - with my girl cousin, my age, walking about a crowd in the city, we were very young, my aunt had both our wrists, tightly clasped - never letting us go. If one of us protested, she gripped our wrists harder, in a vise.

I say, that a parent never leaves a little child alone. If there is no way to go to dinner with a kid, or any where else - YOU JUST DON'T GO OUT! Or order dinner in.

That's it! That's the long and the short of it.

Posted by: allat at October 30, 2007 5:20 PM

I don't know if the McCanns had anything to do with Madeleine's disappearance, but I do agree with Allat, that you don't leave a child alone in a hotel room.

At best, they were neglectful parents.

Having said that, this gives new impetus to getting rid of Islam altogether.

How many kidnapped children are there in Saudi Arabia and other muslim countries?

Also, I think that parents should be wary of taking their children to places like Portugal and Spain which are near to Morocco.

Posted by: Voltaire at October 30, 2007 5:24 PM

White slavery of this "religious" type goes back to the 7th century, when Mohammad put Allah's blessing upon this rank barbarism.

It has been a threat to Eurpean women -and boys- since the Mohammedans won their first battle.

And will be a threat until they lose their last.

Posted by: profitsbeard at October 30, 2007 5:53 PM

The liberals who have attacked Robert Spencer or Hugh Fitzgerald or Virgil Goode and defended Islam have taken ownership of these cases. They are responsible for misleading parents into thinking their children are safe, when this problem is out there. They are responsible for letting these people come here.

Just as the 19 hijackers were let in after the WTC 1993 attack, so have those kidnapping these children been let into Europe and America after the WTC 1993 attack, the WTC and Pentagon 2001 attacks, and many more.

After the London bombings and Danish Cartoons and the open marches in London, the liberals said this wasn't Islam. They misled the parents of these children into not understanding the dangers. They let these people into Europe. These cases have been going on for years.

Every liberal who attacked Virgil Goode and defended Islam has taken personal ownership of every one of these cases. Every minute any of these children are in the hands of these rings, the liberals who attacked Virgil Goode are personally responsible for everything that happens.

The Democratic Party came out and attacked Virgil Goode in late 2006 and 2007. They knew what they were doing. They did it for political advantage after knowing the facts. They are seasoned professionals. They took ownership of every one of these child kidnap cases. Every minute these children suffer is a minute the Democrats and MSM are guilty of everything that happens. The same applies to Gordon Brown and Tony Blair. The same applies to George Bush.

Those who prosecuted BNP or others in Europe for speaking out have taken ownership of these cases. This applies to the Swedish government. It applies to the EU. They are guilty for every minute these children suffer. This applies whether they are awake or asleep.

This is opinion and draft.

Posted by: Old Atlantic at October 30, 2007 6:36 PM

I have heard first-hand accounts of brazen kidnapping of women by Muslims from Chechnya and Dagestan. A friend from St. Petersburg told me how a local Muslim warlord and his posse entered the restaurant, and announced that he wanted their valuables and their women. My friend quickly smuggled his girlfriend out the back of the restaurant before they were spotted. I'm sure this story is not uncommon in various "restive" regions around the world.

My first thought when I heard Madeleine's story was that she had been kidnapped and taken into slavery. The Spanish police's attempt to blame the parents doesn't sound convincing. And unfortunately, if the authorities found evidence suggesting that Islam was somehow involved, I have grave doubts that that evidence would be followed up, due to its "sensitive political nature". Think how riled up the infidels might get if Madeleine was found in the mountains of Morocco, perhaps with others like her. Think of the "backlash" that might occur. Much, much too dangerous for the truth to come out.

Posted by: special_guest at October 30, 2007 8:55 PM

What if muslims start kidnapping women and children off the streets?

And if they did, would any escaped victims be regarded as islamophobic if they talked about what happened to them?

Posted by: Voltaire at October 30, 2007 9:58 PM

What if muslims start kidnapping women and children off the streets?

And if they did, would any escaped victims be regarded as islamophobic if they talked about what happened to them?

Posted by: Voltaire at October 30, 2007 9:58 PM

There are a thousand cases of children being abducted and ending up in Morocco. Blonde children are a very valuable commodity in places like North Africa

They aren't saying 'perhaps' there are thousands. Are these children recovered? Is there a recovery team working the area?

When I saw the photo of the little girl being carried that was thought to be Madeline at first, I had to wonder if she was another kidnapped child. I hoped that it was not common. Apparently it is.

Miss_Anthrope - I had not heard of kidnappings of travelers to France. I have a college age relative who traveled to France alone and she was not told any warnings.

alaskan1000-that is disconcerting that the US would cover up something like that and worse, possibly be complicit there.

The worst part of this for me is that in a normal kidnapping, if the person got away, they would be able to get any passerby to help them. But in a muslim country would they get help? Or would the whole town know what is happening and approve?

Posted by: Borg at October 30, 2007 10:07 PM

1 - The McCann incident happened not in Spain, but in Portugal (Spanish police doesn't have anything to do with this)

2 - The McCanns' behavior is at the very least EXTREMELY suspicious...just as an example, the first person they called was THE PRIEST, not the police

3 - What kind of parent leaves his/her three children alone in a room in a foreign country? Portugal is safer than most of Europe when it comes to violent crime, but apparently it is not safe enough

4 - It is the first time that I have heard of this possibility (blonde girl sold to a Muslim sex-trade ring)

5 - Allat's comments are right on the spot.

6 - As soon as the McCanns' published the photo of the girl, they killed her (assuming that she wasn't dead already). Who would want her after that amount of publicity? If she wasn't dead back then, she is dead now.

Frankly, I really think that the girl is dead. Probably killed accidentally by her own mother, who really gives me the creeps.

There are too many things wrong with this whole case. This thing happened in my country, and I can't believe that the McCanns were allowed to leave Portugal before the closure of the investigations. And if they were allowed to leave, rest assured that it was because of VERY STRONG PRESSURES coming from Downing Street. As usual, when John Bull barks, we bow. Has been like this for centuries, why would our rulers grow a spine all of a sudden? Portuguese foreign policy has unfortunately created a reputation of having no morals nor any ethics whatsoever...

This whole thing stinks of corruption. It plagues southern Europe, and from this case (and from the British politician who pimped British girls to Saudi princes, according to that "sauductions" site), it seems that it plagues Britain as well.

Posted by: cruzado at October 30, 2007 10:45 PM

Alaskan 1000:

I don't know whether you are writing the story about the blond girls as sex slaves and the story of the woman that escaped as a red herring here, but in any case, there is such a thing as White Slaves, a big business in white women and children, and esp. in blond women.

It's been written about for many yrs. & documented by the alternate news media and reporters but the police and the fib either won't do anything about it, or looses track. At any rate, the stories we hear about, are only the tip of the iceberg. You'd hardly think the stats would be reveleaved to the general public do you? You'd hardly think the police would tell you anything, would you? They don't even tell communities about sex offenders in a neighborhood.

The Main trade route is through the Middle East. It's strange that the majority of women are blonds. Reminds me of that case in Aruba last year, the Holloway girl. She was also a blond.

What happens to the little girls in the Child Welfare Systems that disappear, I wonder.

ANd the world - the West, the U.S. thinks slavery is over. The Blacks here think they're the ones that have suffered most, as if cornering the market on being victimhood, of slavery.

----------

However, blond girls are highly valued in areas where Voodoo is practiced. I had a middle-aged co-worker where I worked, that came from Cuba in the 60s. A natural, silver blond. She says her family wouldn't allow her to be alone in the front garden, because there were blond girls kidnapped by Voodoo-ist, to be sacrificed.

The whole thing is creepy. And sick, and disgusting. And because it is, is why we, the common people, don't pursue investigations. I just can't believe such things exist - from white slavery to human sacrifice ( which, unfortunately, has also been documented in Peruvian native villages ( documented - and evidenced by the finding of at least one body of a little Indian girl).

Posted by: allat at October 31, 2007 1:36 AM

on the beaches of Normandy and the fields of Flanders
guns that spoke in the language of death are silent now
over the graves of long drowned war machines we hear the cry
of the seagulls as they swoop and dive on schools of fish
that now make these long forgotten weapons of war their homes
in the hedgerows of France to the bones of a thousand years of warriors
lie sleeping waiting for the day of resurrection
on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of each year
we stop and remember the great warthe war we swore
would be the only world war yet 30 short years later
fires of another great war burned again
and the fires have never died down
and still the dead lay on the battlegrounds
of Korea and in the rice paddies of Vietnam

The hordes of Mohamed
that lay silent for over 200 years are now stirring
turned back at the gates of Vienna
their dreams of conquest only slept
but never died there belief that the world belongs to allha
propelling them on when the West wants nothing but peace
will the fighting never end

1400 years The hordes of Mohamed have taken
slaves because they because there pedophile prophet kept slaves and now our soldiers are fighting and dying in in the deserts of Iraq and in the hills of Afghanistan protecting their claim to make our women and children their sex toys how long will our politicians send our young men and women to die to protect these barbarians and their disrespect for anyone that does not belong to the cult of islam

Posted by: mowasaperv at October 31, 2007 5:45 AM

"KING FAHD'S SONS' LOS ANGELES SEX RING

King Fahd's sons' control their child sex ring from their Beverly Hills palaces. They learned from the Al-Fassi palace sex scandals in Beverly Hills during the 1980's and rent motels away from their palaces to conduct orgies with children procured for them. Around these motels they have a cordon of US security guards. An inner cordon is made up of the princes body guards, usually foreign. The younger the child the more desirable. These children are brought up through the sex ring channel to the point of purchase under the modeling or acting ruses of going to a shoot or set in Saudi Arabia. Upon purchase, children are then taken by limousine directly to the Saudi prince's plane at Los Angeles airport. As we mentioned in our prior newsletters, Washington allows Saudi princes and their entourage to circumvent customs and immigration which allows them to ship their child sex slaves out of the US without need of the customary passport. The children are then escorted directly onto the Saudi princes plane and flown to Saudi Arabia never to be seen again.

PRINCE JEFRI'S SEX SLAVES

These girls were brought to Brunei in a similar manner to that used by Saudi princes. Within the US a child is generally defined as someone that is under 17 years of age. We do not know if some of the girls in the above picture are under 17 years of age or their country of origin. This rare glimpse of the international sex trade sheds light on not only what goes on in Brunei but what goes on in Saudi Arabia. King Fahd's sons and other Saudi princes are directly involved in the international child sex industry as high end buyers. We see one of the usual enticements of a modeling job in a distant land. Life Magazine reports; "former Miss USA Shannon Marketic, in a recent lawsuit, claims she was imprisoned. She had gone there for what she believed was legitimate modeling work paying $3,000 per day ... she tried to leave and was forbidden." L108 In Miss USA's law suite she said upon arriving she was given a physical exam by a doctor ostensibly for country health regulations. Soon after, she was given clothes to wear for the evening. She said she was escorted to a room where she all of a sudden felt drowsy and fell asleep. She awoke to find her clothes rearranged upon her body, like somebody had removed them and then redressed her. We know from the Center for Missing and Abused Children that pedophiles keep photo/video libraries of their victims. It is reasonable to believe there are pictures/videos of Miss USA taken of her without her knowledge while unconscious. Even so, she was one of the lucky girls being high profile and whose parents knew of her whereabouts. Washington still denies the international child sex rings prey upon US children. US based child abduction organizations funded by Washington will not admit on the record to the international child sex rings preying upon US children for fear of loosing their funding. An old Washington maxim is: "He who controls the investigation wins." Miss USA lost her law suit because the State Department granted Immunity. The abducted children and their parents always lose out to foreign policy considerations of the politicians and their lobbyist associates who represent countries like Brunei and Saudi Arabia. When members of an international sex ring are caught Washington allows them freedom from criminal and civil actions by either giving them diplomatic immunity, retroactive diplomatic immunity or other State Department protection under the Foreign Sovereign Immunity Act.

US MODEL DISAPPEARS

A new model comments: "At first I shared an apartment with two other models, one ... I forget what her name was, who was there for three weeks and then she was gone. Disappeared ... I know what I was getting myself into. I wasn't like the naive girl from Podunk that came in and got drugged at a party and sold to the Arabs!"L109

ANOTHER MODEL DISAPPEARS

"Which one (international model) disappeared on a (film) shoot with a nonexistent Saudi Arabian magazine, ending up who knows where?"L110 Middle East businessmen, and others get into the relatively small-time modeling game where most of the abuse occurs."L111 John Casablancas as founder of Elite modeling was accused by Ilene Ford of Ford modeling of introducing models to; "disgusting --- one day it was Arabs, the next day it was Jews from New York".L112

GULF PROCURERS

A runway agent at the New York international modeling agency Wilhelmina reports: "A lot of Arabs were storming Europe looking for beautiful young girls. A lot of girls made a lot of money not modeling"L113 It should be noted "Arabs" was a term used to connote Gulf citizens, especially Saudi princes and unfairly construed towards all Arabs."

......of the above report i find this to be very disturbing:.......Washington allows Saudi princes and their entourage to circumvent customs and immigration which allows them to ship their child sex slaves out of the US without need of the customary passport. The children are then escorted directly onto the Saudi princes plane and flown to Saudi Arabia never to be seen again.....

........It is time to cut the ties to Islam and Ban Muslim Immigration.....

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by: exsgtbrown at October 31, 2007 7:03 AM

There is a custom among many Coptic and Eritrean Orthodox Christians of tattooing a cross on the right hand of small girls (and often boys as well).

This was done for two reasons: spritually it symbolized the child had been marked with the sign of Christ and thus could not recieve that "other" mark prophesied in Revelation. Practically, however, it was to give the child a permanent reminder that she was Christian in case she was taken by the Muslims. Even if forced into Islam she would have an unremovable mark that showed she had been baptized and belonged to Christ, not to her Muslim kidnappers.

At http://ester.theworldrace.org/ there is a photo of some of these beautiful Egyptian children where the writer remarks, "we soon realize that these children know Jesus, they know their Christian roots, and eagerly show their cross tattoo on their right hands." May God protect them all.

Posted by: Provoslavni at October 31, 2007 8:17 AM

Here is an up close photo of the Coptic Cross tattoo:
http://lexicorient.com/e.o/copts.htm

Posted by: Provoslavni at October 31, 2007 8:19 AM

Miss_Anthrope - I had not heard of kidnappings of travelers to France. I have a college age relative who traveled to France alone and she was not told any warnings.

Borg -

Remember, this was in 1985. Now, I don't specifically remember if this warning came from an article my grandma cut out (she did that a lot), my mom, or the school.

Frankly, I doubt the school as the source. But this was before PC became all the rage, so I'm pretty sure this was an article grandma gave me, along with the ones about pick-pocketing gypsies to be aware of in France.

I wish I had all the details recalled to relay to you, but I just remember the specific warning itself and the region to which it pertained - that women with this coloring could be taken from Europe to Northern Africa. Makes sense, given the number of French colonies located there.

I don't know how else I'd know I had the skin & eyes, but not the right hair color, they were looking for. That is not something I would know on my own in HS, ya know?

Posted by: Miss_Anthrope at October 31, 2007 9:30 AM