Nearly two million people protest on the streets of Hong Kong. Protesters demand a full withdrawal of the extradition law, dismissal of the head of the administration Carrie Lam, and an apology for police brutality, which used tear gas and rubber bullets against demonstrators on Wednesday. At that time in the churches in the world Christians pray for free Hong Kong. So do Polish Christians from … one church – KNP in Lublin.
The meeting of the members of the New Covenant Church in Lublin, along with the Megachurch bible groups from Poland and abroad started with the same song that the protesters on the streets of Hong Kong sang – „Sing Hallelujah to the Lord.” Next, pastor Paweł Chojecki recalled the political situation in Hong Kong and made a biblical introduction to pray for free Hong Kong:
Crowds outside the protest spot known as Civic Square sing “Sing Hallelujah to the Lord.” They have been doing so since Tuesday evening. pic.twitter.com/asT0PeGqLd
During a 2009 rally of the youth branch of the Real Politics Union (Unia Polityki Realnej – UPR) in Brzesko, a meeting with Krzysztof Bosak took place. After the meeting the youth were taking a customary photograph. Suddenly, a group centered around Konrad Berkowicz started heiling, as the photo above shows.
Dismayed, Krzysztof Bosak and a large portion of the youth of the UPR surprised with the provocation separated from the group of Konrad Berkowicz, Dobromir Sośnierz, Marcin Chmielowski and others, who were heiling.
The group had already belonged to the faction of Janusz Korwin-Mikke, who was severely conflicted with the then leadership of the UPR and left the party shortly thereafter.
On Saturday, May 4, an aggressive man kept kicking and banging on the door of the building, where a meeting of the New Covenant Church of Lublin was in progress. He was yelling offensive phrases and threats against the church. Shortly, the police arrived at the scene and arrested the aggressor. The case is under investigation by the 1st Police Precinct in Lublin.
This is not the first attack on the church property and its members. In September last year, the church lodge near Nowy Sącz was attacked; it was plastered over with offensive stickers and the entrance was splashed with feces. The billboard rented by the church has been damaged several times. Illegal threats, including death threats, are often directed against Pastor Paweł Chojecki, his family, and the editorial team of the Go Against the Tide TV. The police, ministers in the Polish government, Brudziński and Ziobro, as well as the Polish ombudsman have been informed about such incidents each time. None of these institutions and individuals have taken actions comparable to their reactions to similar cases of attacks against the Catholic Church. Media is also silent on this subject. This calls into question the notion of the rule of law and equal treatment of all citizens
in Poland.
In recent days, the citizens of Lublin have had an opportunity to witness an extraordinary flash mob. On the Lithuanian Square, in the very center of Lublin, a group friends from Idź Pod Prąd (Go Against the Tide) TV organized a campaign, the aim of which was to express Poles’ support for freedom loving Chinese people living in Hong Kong. Check it out in the video below:
SEND A LETTER OF SUPPORT to activists imprisoned by the Chinese communist authorities in Hong Kong! #FreeHongKong!
April 23rd, 4 out of 9 activists, who had been sentenced for their participation in the peace protests during the Umbrella Revolution of 2014 were put in a communist prison. Hundreds of thousands of people were demonstrating against – among other issues – revoking their universal suffrage. Two professors, Benny Tai Yiu-ting and Chan Kin-man, were sentenced to 16 months in prison, while a lawyer and lawmaker, Shiu Ka-chun, as well as an activist, Raphael Wong Ho-ming, were sent to prison for 8 months.
As a TV station, we initiated a campaign, #FreeHongKong, #SayNoToCommunistChina. We are encouraging you to send your photos with these hashtags to [email protected] and use them on social media as often as possible. Help the sentenced activists by sending them letters of support to prison! To let them know we remember about them.
Addressees:
Benny Tai Yiu-ting
Chan Kin-man
Shiu Ka-chun
Raphael Wong Ho-ming
Address:
Justice & Peace Commission of The H.K.
Catholic Diocese 6/F, Holy Cross Centre,
72 Yiu Hing Road, Sai Wan Ho, Hong Kong
ATTENTION!
Write the name of only one addressee (from the list above) on the envelope. However, in the body of the letter you are welcome to emphasize that you are supporting all four inmates. In case you would like each one to receive an individual letter you should write four separate letters. On each, indicate for whom it is intended, and send them all in one envelope to the address stated above. The workers of this organization will send the letters out to the inmates.
Please do not include photos of the inmates. You may include photos of others, including yourself. Please print the images on a letter-size or A4-size paper instead of sending the actual photos.
A card can’t have any glitter on it.
Packages with books will not be accepted.
If you would like to receive a reply, please write your name and email address in the letter. Note that they may be unable to reply on an individual basis or in a timely manner.
During a conference called “Geopolitics and Christianity,” which was organized by the Baptist Christian Church in the Republic of Poland, its leader, Pastor Dr. Mateusz Wichary and Dr. Jacek Bartosiak, a pro-China lobbyist, pushed the propaganda for communist China – a criminal state persecuting its citizens and fighting Christianity.
The conference took place in Warsaw on April 13. In his speech on communist China and the New Silk Road, Pastor Wichary presented some ludicrous theories:
“(…) it is not an accident that millions are converting to Christianity in China. (…) Now, when we consider again this New Silk Road, I am certain that it will benefit the Christians – 100% guaranteed, as they will likely become either Chinese workers or diplomats. God has a plan in this, and it is not an accident that the Chinese have such particular selfish desires. God will use this in His own way, and I think that, indeed, this will aid the development of Christianity.”
Hanna Shen, the correspondent for the Go Against the Tide TV in Taiwan, who has followed the policy of communist China for years, responded to Pastor Wichary’s revelation on the live program:
“It is a tremendous disgrace and, indeed, a great victory for the Chinese communists. At the time of the massive repressions against Christians in that country, stories of how wonderful the New Silk Road is and how much good it brings are told in Poland, in a Baptist Church.”
Hanna Shen added that talking about the New Silk Road as a blessing to the Chinese people is a blatant lie:
“The premise behind these statements is that the New Silk Road will help the Chinese people, that thanks to it they will open up to the world (…), that it will be beneficial to the Chinese Christians and to us. To respond to this it is enough to let the average Chinese speak, who ask with increasing intensity why the government spends billions on some investments abroad while the education in China is broken (there are many places lacking regular classrooms; children still study sitting on the floor; and textbooks are shared by several students). The health services in China are also broken (one has to pay for everything in that system, people often sleep in front of hospitals to even have a chance to see a doctor – even in Beijing). The Chinese people themselves are beginning to inquire why money is spent in other countries, which neither benefits them nor those countries, as they accumulate huge debts and are unable to develop, and must increase taxes. Therefore, saying that the New Silk Road is in any way beneficial to the Chinese or Christians is a big, fat lie. This man uses a “Dr.” prefix in front of his name but tells such fairy tales.”
Pastor Paweł Chojecki of the New Covenant Church in Lublin also commented on Wichary’s statements on the Go Against the Tide TV:
“(…) this position of Comrade Doctor Pastor Wichary calling for building the Silk Road, because there are many Christians in China and Christianity is spreading, can be compared to saying, «Let’s collaborate with the Third Reich, because a resistance movement is growing there…» Yet, Christians are in a huge conflict with the communist authorities. They are persecuted and murdered. All the while Wichary says: «let’s collaborate with Hitler, their abuser, so that the Christians will be better off».”
“Pastor Wichary began the meeting saying – in agreement with me – some truths concerning God and geopolitics. Next, during the same lecture, within less than an hour, he said that we, Christians do not get involved in politics. Then, at the end of the lecture he added, “Let’s build the Silk Road… to evangelize China.” Can you see, dear Baptists, how he makes fools out of you?”
Mateusz Wichary, who spoke with such a positive attitude about communist China – despite the fact that human rights are violated and concentration camps are functioning there – at the same time decried the United States of America, the most Christian country in the world, and – de facto – the Trump administration:
“I would be quite reluctant to equate America with the power of good. That would be a too far-fetched simplification. Of course, a lot of good resulted from what transpires in history, in the fact that America used to be a kind of a leading power. But looking at certain changes taking place today in the United States, I would not be much convinced that this is that power. And now, speaking as a Christian, I would be afraid to make a claim that God still wants to bless America today. How do I know this? I don’t. Perhaps He wants to, perhaps He does not. Perhaps He wants to use someone else in His plans. We, as the Baptist Christian Church, collaborate with neither of these two sides. As far as the political perspective is concerned, I will not speak out; it is not my area.”
During the discussion after the lecture Wichary declared that President Trump was not a Christian.
“Pastor Wichary spent a lot of time refuting the teaching that the United States is the stronghold of Christianity and that it is a Christian country. He even negated the Christian faith of Donald Trump, just as the Catholic Pope Francis has done” – Pastor Chojecki commented on Wichary’s attitude. Let’s recall that during the 2016 election campaign in the USA Pope Francis proclaimed that Donald Trump was not a good Christian.
“The aim of this communist narrative is to create an impression that, indeed, we are dealing with a new order. In other words, there is an empire that is crumbling, and we have an empire that is rising and will soon take the world under its control. The United States is understood to be the irrevocably crumbling empire, whereas China is the rising one that is about to take over the power. The truth is entirely different. China is a colossus on clay feet. Chinese economy is considered good even with the growth at the rate of 2% (even Chinese economists admit that) – Hanna Shen added.
During the conference both, Pastor Dr. Mateusz Wichary and Dr. Jacek Bartosiak, underscored the importance of a balance between good and evil. Dr. Bartosiak asserted that life requires a balance and harmony, and that communist China (sic!) is able to guarantee that harmony. Hanna Shen commented on his statement:
“How desperately the Chinese need a harmony is curiously reflected in a phrase they use: ‘someone got harmonized.’ It is a reference to a situation where someone is arrested for publishing something on the Internet or when his or her Internet account is deleted.”
Pastor Paweł Chojecki stated what the teaching of Jesus Christ sets forth the attitude toward evil:
“Christians are called to conquer evil. We are to conquer evil, not to remain in balance with it.”
Hanna Shen and Pastor Paweł Chojecki also mentioned the events in China-controlled Hong Kong, where the communists gag the free people and lock them up in prisons. Pastor Chojecki referred to one of the freedom activists, Pastor Chu Yiu-ming, who is currently on trial for his actions. The magnitude of Pastor Wichary’s treachery is even more prominent in the light of the former’s stance:
“This 75-year-old Chinese pastor is an inspiration and a paragon. He has shown that despite such terrible circumstances, being at the very kernel of darkness, it is possible to stand proudly and faithfully with Christ. During this trial God gave him an opportunity to give a clear testimony about his turning to Jesus Christ. Thanks to that, the truth about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, as well as their consequences for every human being reached hundreds of thousands – if not a million – people in Hong Kong. This pastor did what he was supposed to do. Perhaps he will pay for this with his life, though only the temporal one. We are anticipating the eternal life. Yesterday, we asked Pastor Bob Kraft [an American, who fights for freedom in Hong Kong] to pass onto Pastor Chu Yiu-ming that he is an inspiration of great pride and encouragement to us. By contrast, let us consider Pastor Wichary. He is a disgrace to the Church of Jesus Christ because he is not under any threat, yet for some favors or other benefits he sells the faithfulness to Christ by promoting Chinese communism within the Baptist Church in Poland.”
According to Hanna Shen, the only connection between this conference and a church was the location, since it was held in the church’s fellowship hall. In terms of the content, however, it looked like a discussion between two materialists.
“The saddest thing in this situation is in the fact that the communist, godless lies were proclaimed at a Protestant church, at the Polish Baptists’ place. The leader of the Polish Baptists, Dr. Mateusz Wichary, belied the Christian message and introduced the communist narrative to Polish churches. Pastor Wichary deceived his church into fraternizing with Catholicism through the ecumenical movement. And now Dr. Bartosiak, an “expert”, who trains Catholic priests in the matter of relations with China, has been ushered to the protestant community allowing him to whisper the diabolical teachings there.” – Pastor Chojecki concluded.
WATCH the full program with Hanna Shen and Pastor Paweł Chojecki on Idź Pod Prąd TV (Go Against the Tide):
A friend and advisor of President Donald Trump in an exclusive interview for the Go Against the Tide TV (Idź Pod Prąd TV)! On the Middle East summit in Warsaw, Israel and Palestine – Jason Greenblatt, a co-author of Trump’s Middle East peace plan, speaks with pastor Paweł Chojecki and editor Eunika Chojecka.
Jason Greenblatt with pastor Paweł Chojecki, Eunika Chojecka, and the Go Against the Tide crew
You are one of the few people in the world who have seen President Donald Trump’s Peace Plan for the Middle East and especially for Israel and Palestine. This plan is set to be revealed after the Israeli elections on the 9thof April. Why are you waiting till then?
Not only am I one of the few to have seen the plan, I drafted it, along with Jared Kushner and our Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman. In fact, while it is essentially done, I continue to tweak it as I am always thinking about how to improve it based off of ideas we get from various contacts, including Israelis, Palestinians and others.
As to your question on timing, while we took into account a variety of factors, nobody thinks releasing the plan before the elections take place is a good idea. We want to give our plan the best chance to succeed. Waiting until after the Israeli elections is part of that.
How does this plan differ from other plans and initiatives the US have tried in the past, whether through its own or joint initiatives – Camp David, Oslo etc.? If those failed, why should this one succeed?
To be sure, past efforts and plans have informed our efforts. That said, none of what came prior has ever worked and it is time we all recognize this. Past initiatives did not bring peace. All the talking points used in the past have never, and will never bring peace. We have taken a different approach – a more honest, realistic and practical approach. We have made a concerted effort to speak truth, even if it makes people uncomfortable at times. I also think you will see in our plan one that is fair, realistic, and implementable with enough detail where people can actually imagine how it might succeed. It will not just be just aspirational principles or slogans. We have developed it to a degree that people will clearly understand the many benefits and opportunities that can be achieved by this vision, as well as the suggested compromises. We hope that people keep an open mind and judge it on its merits. It will be up to the parties to decide if and how to move forward.
It was publicly stated by Jared Kushner during the Warsaw Summit that the plan for peace in the Middle East would require both sides to agree to compromises and commit sacrifices. Many people in Israel are of the opinion that sacrifices, compromises and a weak position (for example Oslo Accord, Gaza settlements pullback etc.), will harm Israel and send the wrong message to the Palestinians. Do you agree with these views?
Firstly, President Trump is not going to do anything that jeopardizes Israel’s security. We take Israel’s security situation very seriously. What we will propose is hopefully something that both sides can gain a lot more than they give and where both sides will have to make compromise, but hopefully the benefits far outweigh the compromises.
How do you want to overturn the hatred Palestinians have towards Israelis? That hatred is often motivated by Islam.
The hatred that some Palestinians have toward Israelis has not gotten them anything but misery and little opportunity. Palestinians deserve better. Our hope is that the Palestinian people will take a good, hard look at our plan when it is released and see the benefits of living in peace with Israel. A brighter future that unlocks the full potential of Palestinians is possible with our plan. I hope that when the time comes, they seize the opportunity.
The Two-State solution of Israel and Palestine (the later not recognized as a sovereign country by the USA and Israel) is not a popular concept neither among Palestinians nor Israelis, as was demonstrated in a joint survey by the Tami Steinmetz Center for Peace Research (Tel Aviv University) and the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Research in Ramallah (sponsored by UN and EU). According to those surveys 54% of Israelis and 57% of Palestinians believe the Two-State solution is not possible. Also, we have asked Tomas Sandell, Founding Director of The European Coalition for Israel, about his thoughts concerning the Peace Plan. He stated that he is a supporter of the current Trump administration. Mr. Sandell said that he doesn’t know the details of the plan, but if it includes a division of Jerusalem (into an Israeli and Palestinian part), that would make it “unacceptable”. He also added that “it would be illogical and go against the values and principles of the whole international community. It would be against the legal foundations and legal commitments made to the State of Israel going back to the San Remo agreement in 1920”, stating that “we’ve past the time in history when we would divided cities, we divided Berlin, Belfast etc.” What are your thoughts on this?
The “two-state solution” is a failed slogan used in the past that means different things to different people. That slogan has not achieved peace. Hence, we have decided to move away from that slogan and instead focus on giving people an actual detailed vision of what peace could look like.
I obviously cannot get into what’s in the plan. Up to this point, we have had no leaks, which I think is very constructive. In past negotiations, which we have studied, often the details would get out prematurely and that would cause politicians to have to run away from the plan. What we have tried to do is figure out what is realistic and what is a fair solution to the issues in 2019 that can enable people to live better lives. We hope that people keep an open mind when we release the plan and judge it on its merits.
What are your thoughts on the recent Middle-East conference in Warsaw, jointly organized by USA and Poland?
Warsaw was a historic conference to build consensus around promoting security across the region, and addressing common threats such as Iran. The ministerial brought together leaders from Israel and the Arab world to engage on common challenges facing the region. Dialogue and the open exchange of ideas is exactly what the region needs. More open engagement will be critical to achieving progress on Israeli-Palestinian peace.
We have good friends and partners across the Arab world. These partnerships will be important as we seek to give our peace plan the best possible chance to succeed. The leaders in the region respect what President Trump is trying to achieve. Warsaw was an important step toward that goal.
An analysis of the interview and the situation in the Middle East on the Go Against the Tide Live program, March 14, 2019:
Jason Greenblatt is an advisor and friend of the US President Donald Trump; since 2017, an Assistant to the 45th President of the USA and a Special Representative for International Negotiations. Co-author of Donald Trump’s Middle East peace plan. He is Trump’s co-worker since 1997. He was the executive vice president and chief legal officer at The Trump Organization, as well as Donald Trump’s advisor on Israel.
Contributors: Ivan Belostenko, Paweł Machała, Rafał Toczyłowski
Israel and Poland need each other. The US needs Poland and I think these three countries together have a critical role to play in international relations right now. (…) My message to Poland and to the other three of V4 countries is: don’t let anyone bully you. You don’t need anyone from Brussels to tell you what to do – said in Idź Pod Prąd TV (Go Against The Tide TV) Tomas Sandell, the founding director of the European Coalition for Israel.
Eunika Chojecka: We’re here with Ivan Belostenko and we have a special guest – Tomas Sandell, the founding director of the European Coalition for Israel, a Finnish journalist, it’s a pleasure to have you here. Could you say something more about the aims of your organization?
First of all, this organization was founded in 2003, at the situation where we saw that antiseminitism was on the rise in Europe again. And then, there’s a particular story that I remember and that was how the late Elie Wiesel spoke at a conference in Brussels and he said: „why is it that still almost 70 years after the World War when there is a rise of antisemitism it’s only the Jewish people who are reacting?” He said: „where are the others, where are the Muslims, the Christians, the agnostics?” And this spoke to me and just a few months later I met him again in Berlin and I was able to announce the creation of what I would call a coalition of all the others. And that means that we who are not necessarily part of the Jewish community, we have a responsibility to speak up and stand on the side of the Jewish people but also the State of Israel. So, the objectives are two things. First of all, to combat the rise of antisemitism not only by being against something but also by clearly explaining how we have been blessed by the presence of Jewish communities in Europe and that’s very easy to substantiate. But then, also not only by saying that we are against antisemitism, because today everyone would technically speak and say that, but also we are very strong on the State of Israel, so we want to promote good relations between Europe and Israel. And obviously, today particularly, from the ill perspective, there are problems and we, in Europe, need to learn history to become real friends with Israel.
Ivan Belostenko: While you mentioned that most of the leaders are against the classical understanding of antisemitism, the question that I have is: we see that they openly commemorate various dates, various events of the antisemitism but we see that while they do condemn antisemitism in its classical form, their deeds, some things they do (the main leaders and also the small leaders of the European nations) they actually are antisemitic. And we can mention the lobbying against moving the embassy to Jerusalem, the failure to condemn terrorism both in the Middle East and in Europe. And also a failure to recognize things, other things like the solid, legal foundation for the State of Israel, which you mentioned as well. Have you noticed this dissonance that while they accept that antisemitism is not okay in this classical form, their deeds don’t follow?
Absolutely and I have a very good example of this. I’m afraid I can’t reveal the identity of the high EU official who I’m going to quote, but this happened on the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and I presented myself to a very high EU official and I said my name, that I represented European Coalition for Israel and he looked at me and he said: „what does Israel has to do with any of this?” And I think it’s a ridiculous comment and we spoke about it and I said: „You know, listen, if there would have been a state of Israel created in 1948 as was agreed already in San Remo in 1920, millions of Jews could be alive today”. So I think that people learn and I’m sure he’d regret his comments very much today. But people very often try to distinguish between European Jewry and those in Israel. They say: „you know, we react when Jews are being attacked on the streets of Paris or Brussels”, but at the same time when Jews are being killed in Jerusalem, within Israel, it’s a very different standard and sometimes there’s a cold silence and ignorance. And I believe again, that this, for me, reveals sadly that the European leaders have not really learned the lessons of the Holocaust.
E. Ch.: How can you see the role of Poland in your organization and in general process of developing binds between Israel and Europe?
I think Poland is in a very strategic role, or can play a very strategic role in bringing Europe closer to Israel. (…) I think there is a historical reason why Poland should be the one at the forefront of promoting good relations. And I think also, you know, we watch when the government comes together in the European Council in Brussels and we know that Poland is always one of the strongest friends of Israel when decisions are being made in Brussels. If it wasn’t for Poland and maybe a few other countries from this region, things could be a lot worse in Brussels at the moment. So I have high hopes that Poland would really be the country that would bring Europe and Israel closer together and, of course, the Warsaw Summit is a good first step in this direction. But I think, I hope there will be a good follow-up.
I. B.: What are your impressions so far from what happened there and also from the what followed to the Warsaw Summit?
First of all, I made a video about the preparations for the Warsaw Summit, where I stated very clearly in Brussels: „listen, now is the time to leave conflicts behind and for Europe to really come alongside the US and Poland in this Warsaw summit”, because I remember I made this statement on Holocaust Remembrance Day and I reminded the audience: „you know, today there is still a UN member state calling for the destruction of the Jewish state, you know, using the same language as Adolf Hitler”. And we just seem to not want to hear what he’s saying. And on the contrary, like was in the case of the German President, who sent his congratulations on the 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Iran… how could this be? So I think that this really gave a unique opportunity for the European nations to come strongly together and say: „listen, we had enough for terrorists. This is something we cannot accept. If Poland takes the initiative – wonderful. We should all be there.” But sadly, as we know from the EU sign, Mogherini at the forefront, they did not want this summit to happen, which I think is very unfortunate. I think it was in many ways a good summit. Obviously, the fallout afterwards is something which is problematic and I’m sure we have reasons to analyze that more in detail.
E. Ch.: We want to ask you about the background of the Polish-Israeli conflict, and we are wondering who is interested in starting a conflict between Israel and Poland. What is your opinion?
It’s absolutely true that there were very strong forces at work to, first of all, prevent Warsaw Summit from happening, then to derail it and now to minimize or try to hurt the conclusions of the summit. I also think as we know the media has this tendency to, I think in particular now to be very critical of US president and Israeli president. And I’m sure that there are journalists who are just looking for the right soundbite, even if it’s said and take out of context. Just to be able, in some way to discredit some of these leaders, in this case Netanyahu, the President of the US, but also the Polish government. So, I think it’s very unfortunate what happened. I believe as a very strong friend of Israel that the comments made by the Israeli prime minister and the foreign minister were not helpful, not constructive, not factual. But I’m also hopeful because we’ve seen this before. Lets’ give it a few weeks, a few months and we’ll be able to normalize the relations again. And this is where an organization such as ours wants to be instrumental and try to see what it will take to bring the parties together again because Israel and Poland need each other. The US needs Poland and I think these three countries together have a critical role to play in international relations right now. So we shouldn’t be distracted by this comment, which I think for the moment is very big news but I think we’ll find a solution.
I. B.: Have you noticed any countries or any specific sides that support of this conflict that are really looking for it to inflame and increase?
I would look at member countries. Again, you see the countries who didn’t come. I mean, why didn’t Germany come, why didn’t France make this a priority? I think that’s problematic and it needs to be pointed out. But of course, looking at the European Union with Federica Mogherini at the forefront, I mean, she was clearly very openly against the conference from day one. And anything that would jeopardize the relations with Iran, she would be the first person to be against that – which I think is completely in contradiction with our so-called European values and principles. So I think in this case Poland was on the right side of the history on the 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution to be able to host such an important event. And we have to look at it also outside of the context of the EU. I mean, when did we last see Arab countries sit down with an Israeli head of state to break bread and find a common course? I think this is unprecedented and I think it’s been under-evaluated in the media so far. And I want to congratulate the Polish government for having had the courage to take this initiative.
E. Ch.: Let’s talk about the American plan about the peace in the Middle East. We know that Donald Trump is planning to reveal this idea. We don’t know the specific details of the plan but do you have some comments on this? Maybe ECI has its own peace conception for the Middle East?
Always, when we hear these grand schemes, these grand peace plans, I have a tendency to be a bit skeptical. I think there hasn’t been pretty much anything very new or innovative in the last 30 years. When we speak about the peace plan, we basically know to 90% what the parameters are. I know people who have more of an insight into this than I would have as a European about whet the thinking is. There are no reasons to believe that this peace plan would be very different from what has been presented before. So as much as I am a supporter of the current US administration, I think when it comes to the peace plan as it stands now, I would give myself the right to be critical. If it is so for example that Jerusalem would be divided, I think this is unacceptable. It’s illogical, it would go against the values and the principles of the whole international community. It would also go against the legal foundations, legal commitments made to the State of Israel, going back to San Remo of 1920. We’ve always been very open about this. I think this is what distinguishes us as an organization – we always said Jerusalem should stay united. We passed behind the time in history where we would divide cities. You know, divided Berlin, divided Belfast, so on and so forth. I think that a general principle for our organization is to support the State of Israel, to support the democratic process. If there’s a consensus in Israel for a particular peace agreement, it’s not our sake to educate them: „this is the way you should do it”. The Israelis are on their ground, they know what they can live with. But I think, nevertheless, as a matter of principles there are some parameters for us which are a line in the sand, so to say. I think it would be counterproductive to divide Jerusalem. Jerusalem should be the capital of the Jewish state, and it should be the united capital.
E. Ch.: You revealed the secret efforts of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel who suggested that the member countries of the EU not move the embassies to Jerusalem. Could you tell us something more about this? Why did you reveal this?
First of all, it’s like the elephant in the room. I’d spoken to enough government officials from these particular countries and diplomats to hear what was happening and I was even surprised that it wasn’t more widely reported. I don’t think it was big news. I thought everyone knew about it so I just stated the obvious and said „you know, listen, how can it be that the leader of Germany would be the country to take the lead and to block such a move against the interest of the Jewish people?” I think it’s just very, very extraordinary. And I am a bit worried about Germany and the way Germany is going and how it’s putting its past behind. We saw another example just a few days ago with the current president of Germany who had sent his congratulations to Iran again after the 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. I mean, how can this be? Well, the good thing is that, of course, in Germany democracy works and media picked it up and I think it was built to really expose it for what it was. And they were ashamed to be Germans knowing that their president is going in this direction.
My message to Poland and to the other three of four countries is: don’t let anyone bully you. I think Poland and these countries here have more moral clarity. They know what it is like to live under totalitarian regime. They don’t need anyone from Brussels to tell them what to do and what to not do. So I think this is something that I’m against to in principle. Honestly, I think that for the European project really to succeed, we have to have a deeper understanding of the lessons of the Holocaust. If any continent should be the best friend of the State of Israel, it should be Europe. Instead of having a policy which we have today, which we are funding, a Palestinian Authority, which is paying pensions to convicted terrorists and funding Palestinian textbooks which are inciting to violence and to hatred. It’s just unbelievable and we are citizens and we have to make our will, leave this accountable and say that this is unacceptable. I hope that V4 and some other countries in Europe are… if not in a complete unity, then at least they should be a strong block that can say that enough is enough.
We’ve seen that there are other countries such as Austria, that are very much on this line and I hope that there could be more, I mean Italy in this respect. It is also reevaluating its policy to itself to see Israel. And ahead of the new elections, I hope that there will be more countries that will the courage just to step out and say: „listen, this is the right thing to do, these are the reasons why we want to do it”. And we didn’t like when Moscow was trying to tell us what to do, what we could not do. It shouldn’t be any different in this respect with Brussels. Not that I want to compare Brussels with Moscow, but to some extent, I think there is a point to be made.
I. B.: Finally, we want to talk about our petition that we started a couple of days ago, to the President the United States Donald Trump in requesting him to assist Poland to obtain reparations for World War 2 from both Germany and Russia, as we all know neither Germany nor Russia ever paid any reparations for what they had done. And we know there had been a pact Ribbentrop-Molotov between them and they invaded Poland together. So we’ve started this petition not just because it’s the right thing to do and it’s moral, but also because we, as you mentioned, want to see Poland become sort of similar to what Israel in the Middle East for the USA in Eastern Europe, in the Eastern block to be a solid partner. And like you mentioned before, Poland needs to take the lead in the embassy move in Israel. So we started this petition to in a way push back on these efforts to destabilize the region and weaken the partners of the US here in this region. What do you think about this idea?
Yes, I think there is a moral case to be made. And I don’t know the history of Poland not being compensated in any way not very well, but this is remarkable and interesting. Of course, we in Finland have an unsettled case with our eastern neighbor as well. I’m not sure there would be anyone in Finland so optimistic as to expect that Russia would acknowledge that they have made mistakes and that there would be something to be paid. It was, of course, the other way around in Finland and Soviet Union – we had to pay a huge war debt which we only managed to do by 1952. But I think it’s good for no other reason than just to bring this on the table as a matter of discussion and evaluation. It would be especially interesting to hear the comments in Berlin. When it comes to Moscow, I’m less optimistic, but we never know.
I. B.: Of course, an important part of our petition as well as our intention (because we are aware that part of these people who suffered at the hands of Germany and Russia were Jews, Polish Jews) is to then share a part of these reparations with the Jewish people both in the direct form and also possibly in some form of purchase of weaponry and military equipment and things like that. So that’s also the part of the idea. I think it might be important to your organization (because you deal with the part of the Jewish people) to bring that up. Because that’s a just thing to do.
I can only say “good luck”.
PLEASE, SIGN OUR PETITION HERE:
E. Ch.: Thank you. The last question, maybe a bit personal. You’re Finnish. Can you see some similarities between Polish people and your people? How can we develop friendship between our nations?
Yes, well obviously when it comes to geography we have, I think the faith of Finland has always been in the hands of not Helsinki, but Petersburg at the time and later Moscow. So, of course, we know what it is like to live with a large neighbor and very influential neighbor. I think Polish-Finnish relationships have always been very good. I recall playing ice hockey against Poland and I think we would at least succeed but there are other things where Poland has been more successful. The work we do in Brussels and in the United Nations is also to have a closer link to Poland (we work very closely with the Polish government in New York, in Brussels) and just to see how we could also be a voice for Christians in Poland who care for Israel and that’s partly why I am here this weekend – just to speak with a group of leaders who are interested in these issues. So as much as I like our countries, Finland and Poland to get closer to each other, I hope that in Europe these voices (because there are not too many of whose who have an understanding of Israel) would come together. But also, I applaud you for that – you take it seriously, you have your TV channel and this is very essential to everything you do. But for our voice to be amplified, it needs to be heard in Brussels. It needs to be understood also in the USA that there are still those in Europe that are subscribing to the same Judeo-Christian values as so many other parts of the world that are in high demand. So we need to stick together and become stronger by being united.
– The regime in Iran is just as much of a dictatorship as the Soviet Union. China, which supports the Islamic Republic of Iran, is doing a bad thing! Let’s ask China: why are they helping the number one state sponsor of terror in the world? – former Mayor of New York and one of President Trump’s legal adisors Rudy Giuliani in an interview with Against the Tide TV.
Ivan Belostenko: The major ally of Iran is China. Recently, in Poland, we’ve captured two spies. One of them is the director of Huawei in Poland, Warsaw the other is Polish intelligence officer. What do you think about the fact that the spies were captured and what are the threats of communist China to the countries like the USA and Poland?
Mayor Giuliani: I think it’s the same message to China as it is to any of the countries that are allies of Iran. The question is, for what purpose would you be the ally of a country that is the number one state sponsor of terrorism in the world? The only role that Iran plays in the world right now with the theocratic regime is to destabilize, to kill, to murder, to have assassination plots like the one in Paris last year on this very group, except for the much larger gathering, or the one in Tirana earlier last year. I can cite many many others.
I don’t think there is any nation that’ll be at this conference, that does question the fact that Iran is a state sponsoring terrorism, the number one state sponsor of terrorism in the world. But what that says to me is, they’ve got to make major changes. And they have to be isolated until they do.
We see the progress we made in isolating them before. Even though it was partial. And I think the more of that, the faster we’re going to get to what the goal of the United States government is, which is a policy change. Or I have to say, the goal of this group, which has for some time been regime change. Either way, the end result would be a free, democratic, decent Iran. And any country that doesn’t support that, I think, has to be questioned as to what their motives are. Is it just their inability to see reality? Or is there a question of greed and wanting to make money and wanting to keep up favorable contracts?
But in any event, we’re here to try to say to all of them: please, focus on Iran. If your topic is peace and stability in the Middle East, how can there be peace and stability in the Middle East, when a major nation of the Middle East is engaged day in and day out in terrorism, both inside their own country and abroad.
IB: I just wanted to come back to the question I’ve asked earlier, about China. So once the current regime perhaps goes away and we have the new Iranian regime, what do you think about their future ties with China? Do you think that might pose a threat to them and also to other European nations and the USA?
RG: You know, so long as the competition for us, America, with China is economic and commercial, that’s a healthy competition. It’s where there is a competition of a military buildup, military power, that you have to get more concerned. So I’m not concerned about China doing business somewhere. We should compete with that and even do better.
I think Iran is a country that we’ve isolated and maybe they’re doing business with China, but their people are starving. That isn’t doing much good. I’ve seen videotapes of people in Iran, in Teheran, with signs saying they’re willing to sell their kidney for $200. Whatever the Ayatollahs are doing and the mullahs, and whatever China is doing to help them, it isn’t working.
IB: There are also voices in the Polish media saying that we should support the current regime in Iran. What do you think of those voices?
RG: I think they’ve lost sight of their own history. The reality is those would be the same people that would’ve said ‘we should support the Soviet Union against Poland’. Because the regime in Iran is just as dictatorial, just as blood-thirsty, just as oppressive – if not more than prior regimes, including the one that controlled this country. I think every Pole that has knowledge of his history would support freedom, democracy, and decency for the people of Iran.
Personally, for many years, I’ve believed there had to be a regime change in Iran. I do not believe anything this regime says. I don’t believe they’re complying, I don’t believe they’re telling the truth. They haven’t told the truth about anything in 35 years. Why would they tell the truth about that?
A country like that needs to have a total change to a republican form of government, democratic form of government, elected leadership, respect for the rights of women, respect for other religions. Until that takes place, all this discussion of peace in the Middle East is counterproductive.
It’s not going to happen when you have a major country, with tremendous resources, that is constantly trying to undermine all the governments in the region. It has undermined Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Qatar, whoever they get their hands on. They’re attacking in Bahrain. They’re a source of a tremendous amount of terrorism in the world.
The viewers of the IPP TV support Free Iran!. Join the #FreeIran campaign:
40 years has past since the Islamic revolution in Iran. Freedom loving Iranians around the world are protesting against the regime. This Wednesday they will be expressing their opposition at the National Stadium in Warsaw. Today, in response to their independence movement, Idź Pod Prąd TV joined the #FreeIran campaign. We also invite you to join us, for our freedom and yours!
On Wednesday, February 13 at the National Stadium in Warsaw, a manifestation of the Iranian opposition will be taking place under the slogan „Free Iran”. At the same time, the Stadium will host a conference on Peace and Security in the Middle East, jointly organized by Poland and the United States. The postulates of the organizers of the manifestation include increasing sanctions on the current Iranian regime and blacklisting secret services from Iran.
Poles support #FreeIran [WATCH VIDEO]:
A similar opinion was voiced by ordinary Iranians with whom we talked during a street demonstration in London: “Donald Trump is the only man who says decisively: Enough! It is the end of the trade with the Ayatollahs! Ayatollahs are a threat to today’s world. Finally, we found someone who speaks our language!”
WATCH VIDEO [ENG & PL VERSION]:
Exactly 40 years ago, in 1979, as a result of the revolution, Iran was transformed from a constitutional monarchy into an Islamic republic, following the overthrow of the Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. At the head of the Islamic Republic stood Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
Recently, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo posted a video on Twitter highlighting the unfulfilled promises and cruelty of Khomeini’s regime #40YearsOfFailure.
Khomeini promised that in his regime there would no political prisons built. But the reality is that Iran is currently holding at least 900 political prisoners in its prisons.
Join the campaign Send us your photo and video with #FreeIran to [email protected]
Today, President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter that he supports Free Iranians:
40 years of corruption. 40 years of repression. 40 years of terror. The regime in Iran has produced only #40YearsofFailure. The long-suffering Iranian people deserve a much brighter future. pic.twitter.com/bA8YGsw9LA
Last week, we’ve appealed to Polish journalists to stop promoting the current Islamic regime of Iran! „With great sadness, we observe a one-sided pro-Islamic narrative in the Polish media. Masoud Edrisi Kermanshahi, the ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran – a state that refuses political freedom and freedom of religion to its citizens –appears in it constantly. Lack of presenting the truth about the totalitarian system of Iran seems to be a deliberate act, and not just a mistake of a journalistic workshop. To all honest journalists who do not want to have a hand in the promotion of the totalitarian regime of the Ayatollahs, we provide free materials on political and religious persecution in the Islamic Republic of Iran”, appealed pastor Paweł Chojecki, editor-in-chief of the Idź Pod Prąd TV.
A fragment of an interview with Pastor Saeed Abedini, a former member of Hezbollah, a descendant of Mohammed, who spent 3,5 years in Iranian prison:
A fragment of an interview with an Iranian woman, who warns Poles not to be deceived by Islamic propaganda!
“They took me into prison for 3.5 years, they beat me so badly that I had stomach bleeding for years. They tortured my mom, they tortured my sister. They said they wanted to go and kidnap my sister in London and bring her to the Iranian prison, beside my cell room and rape her in front of my eyes. I know that they raped some of my church members, who got pregnant later,” says a former member of Hezbollah, a descendant of Mohammed, now a Christian pastor, Saeed Abedini from Iran in a conversation with the Go Against the Tide TV. He adds: “95% of Iranians are against the current Islamic regime. Those who support the Islamic Republic of Iran betray the Iranian people! We will not forget it!”
While Witold Gadowski, Grzegorz Braun, Robert Winnicki and Janusz Korwin-Mikke recommend to the Polish people contacts with the Islamic Republic of Iran, where conversion to Christianity and preaching the gospel are punished with death, and while Pope Francis calls Muslims “our brothers”, we asked the Iranians who managed to escape the totalitarian state, what they think about the Islamic regime in Iran. You will be surprised by what they said!
“We do not need the Islamic Republic in Iran. We have been in Islamic captivity for 40 years! Islam has nothing to do with democracy. In my country, if you drink alcohol, you will receive 80 lashes for punishment. If a woman removes the headscarf, she can even be killed or sent to prison for 10 years. And they rape the prisoners. It is normal in Islam. Islam teaches that if you take a woman into slavery, you can rape her. When I was in prison, I was raped…”– Iranian women told our reporter Piotr Kamieniak, who lives in London and came to the rally of President Donald Trump.
“What would you like Trump to do for Iran?” our reporter asks a senior Iranian. “I would like him to stop relations with Iran and help the Iranians overthrow the regime because Europeans – British, French or Germans – do not care about Iran’s fate! Trump is the only man who definitely says: Enough! Enough with the trade with the Ayatollahs! Ayatollahs are a threat to today’s world. Finally, we found someone who speaks our language!”
SEE THE VIDEO (English with PL sub):
The people of Iran are brutally persecuted by their government. In 2018 alone, the regime arrested and sent to prison over 7,000 protesters. Thousands were beaten, flogged and tortured. Last year, at least 26 protesters were killed by Islamic authorities.
In an interview for Go Against the Tide, Pastor Saeed Abedini, an Iranian, member of Hezzbolah and a descendant of Mohammed who converted to Jesus Christ and was thrown into jail, exposes the Islamic regime of Iran: “The Iranian government has two faces. One shows in Europe, they say: we have freedom, we are working, we fight against terrorism, we are good people, they are trying to be modernized. But this is a big lie. My life is a testimony. It shows that they took me into prison for 3,5 years, they beat me so badly that I had stomach bleeding for years. They tortured my mom, they tortured my sister. They said they wanted to go and kidnap my sister in London and bring her to an Iranian prison, beside my cell room and rape her in front of my eyes. These are the things that I heard. I know that they raped some of my church members, who got pregnant later.” Pastor Abedini was released in January 2016, along with two Americans.
Family and evangelist F. Graham welcome Abedini at an airport in the USA
The largest media in the world talked about Abedini
In a conversation with Pastor Pawel Chojecki and Kornelia Chojecka, Pastor Abedini also praises President Trump for what he does to the Iranian authorities.
Pastor Chojecki in yesterday’s program “Idź Pod Prąd NA ŻYWO” (“Go Against the Tide LIVE”) referred to the activity of Pope Francis in the field of cooperation with Islam: “Pope Francis, together with the Ayatollahs today, curses Donald Trump, saying that he is the one who wants the arms race, the one who wants to arm the borders, the one who wants to build walls. And the solution is to be sheltered in some Muslim ark of brotherhood… But all the people persecuted all over the world say the name: „Donald Trump”, hoping that he will be able to change their fate, although our hope, of course, is in God.
The appeal of a young Iranian woman to Poles
Saeed’s sister, Zibanda, when she converted to Christianity, had to go to Great Britain and when her brother was in prison she fled from Iran, whose authorities wanted to kidnap her and put her in an Iranian prison. She found shelter in the United States.
Zibanda as a Muslim girl in Iran
“I want to give this one message back to your people in Poland. This is a lie that they cannot believe that. I, as an Iranian citizen, have never experienced that human rights are my rights in my daily life. When I converted to Christianity, I had to leave my country. The Islamic government in Iran has all the power in their hands, has all the media in their hands, they can just say what they want to just brainwash people. This is what we’ve dealt with for 40 years, from when the Iranian Islamic revolution happened in 1979. (…) That’s why I am asking for the Polish people not to just let the Islamic country deceive them. They are not what they show on social media, on TV and the news. The truth is completely different. Women suffer in Iran, Christians suffer in Iran. Many Christians are in prisons and are waiting for their trials. And now Iran wants to do the same with neighboring countries. They say: we have a great culture. No, that’s not true. Persian culture is not Islamic culture. We must separate them completely. As we know from history, Islam conquered Persia! (…) Most of our journalists are in prisons because they have no right to write about problems in Iran. Most of our attorneys and lawyers are in prisons because they choose to defend their clients. (…) I would love Polish people to support the Iranians and their rights, and to stand up for their freedom, which they desire so much,” Zibanda said in an interview with Go Against the Tide TV. (Soon THE ENTIRE interview on our YouTube channel.)
First, it was „STOP Islamizing Poland!”, now it’s “standing firm with the Islamic state”!
Next week in Warsaw, an international Polish-American conference on the Middle East will take place. One of the main topics is to be Iran. In response to this event, false bomb scares occurred in many Polish cities as a punishment „for the betrayal of brothers from the Islamic Republic of Iran.” The Foreign Minister of Iran says that Poland “will not wash away this shame.” There was also a sudden pro-Islamic mobilization of pro-Russian and pro-China forces in Poland.
Until recently, those forces participated in the demonstrations „Stop Islamizing Europe.” Now, they have changed their minds. The leaders of the parties: “Wolność” („Freedom” – Janusz Korwin-Mikke), “Ruch Narodowy” („National Movement” – Robert Winnicki) and “Pobudka” („Reveille” – Grzegorz Braun) have recently spoken in favor of the totalitarian regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran. At a joint conference in the Sejm, their politicians expressed their opposition to the conference, organized in Poland along with the US, with the Middle East as the topic. They stated that it had been meant to „draw Poland into the Middle East war,” and was part of the propaganda war against Iran.
Let’s recall that a year ago Robert Winnicki was at the celebration of the 39th anniversary of the revolution. The celebration took place in the Iranian embassy in Warsaw and Winnicki was there with the deputy head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Jan Dziedziczak from PiS (Law and Justice) and with Janusz Korwin-Mikke.
On the other hand, the National Movement of Upper Silesia posted a Twitter message in which, on behalf of Polish citizens, it apologized to Iran for the conference on the Middle East. The tweet, oddly enough, disappeared from the nationalists’ profile after we responded to this pro-Islamic propaganda:
To the “nationalists”: In 1979, Iran became the Islamic republic, where the punishment for the preaching or conversion to Christianity is the death penalty, Iranians are arrested for anti-government protests. Agreed, Poland had a close relationship with Islamists … when she gave them a good trouncing in Vienna!
Facts about the Islamic Republic of Iran
This pro-Islamic propaganda performed by, unfortunately, Polish politicians and journalists, has nothing to do with reality. What does today’s Iran look like?
This month marks the 40th anniversary of the outbreak of the Islamic revolution in Iran. In 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini transformed Iran from a constitutional monarchy into an Islamic republic. Khomeini promised to improve the lives of ordinary Iranians. Meanwhile, in 2017, as estimated by the International Labor Organization, unemployment among young people in Iran amounted to 29.94%! In 1979, the exchange rate was 7 tomans for one dollar. Today, this rate is 12,500 tomans per dollar! Khomeini promised that his regime would not build political prisons. This also turned out to be a lie, Iran is currently holding at least 900 political prisoners in its prisons. Khomeini promised freedom of speech and freedom of the press. The media environment in Iran is one of the most repressive in the world. Every year dozens of journalists are harassed, intimidated and arrested. After the 1979’s revolution, Iran also became a leader among the countries that sponsored terrorism.
THE ENTIRE interview with Pastor Saeed Abedini exclusively for the Go Against the Tide TV:
Cooperation: Piotr Kamieniak, Marcin Berthold – Go Against the Tide TV London; Kornelia Chojecka, Pastor Paweł Chojecki
