NCAA Basketball Tournament 2010 scores are coming in live today. These live 2010 NCAA Basketball Tournament scores will be updated throughout the day, as all 16 remaining games in the first round of the 2010
NCAA Tournament are played out on Friday. These are the final matches that will decide who plays on Sunday against each other in the second round of the 2010 NCAA Basketball Tournament, making it a day of celebration for 16 teams that come out on top throughout Friday. Friday night also holds a number of great games on the schedule, and it should continue to be a great day of college basketball at the 2010 NCAA Tournament.
Among the teams playing on day two of the 2010 NCAA Basketball Tournament are Duke, Syracuse, Purdue, and West Virginia just to name a few. Not too many upsets are expected among the NCAA Basketball Tournament 2010 scores during day tow, but if it were that easy to predict the games then it wouldn't be quite as exciting to see the results play out. Games will be running deep into the night on Friday, and we will update all of the NCAA Basketball Tournament 2010 scores live.
NCAA Basketball Tournament 2010 Scores Day Two
(5) Texas A&M 69 -- (12) Utah State 53 (Final)
(4) Wisconsin 53 -- (13) Wofford 49 (Final)
(3) Pittsburgh 89 -- (14) Oakland 66 (Final)
(10) Missouri 86 -- (7) Clemson 78 (Final)
(4) Purdue 72 -- (13) Siena 64 (Final)
(12) Cornell 78 -- (5) Temple 65 (Final)
(6) Xavier 65 -- (11) Minnesota 54 (Final)
(2) West Virginia 77 -- (15) Morgan State 50 (Final)
(8) Gonzaga 35 -- (9) Florida State 19 (Halftime)
(7) Oklahoma State 36 -- (10) Georgia Tech 31 (Halftime)
(1) Duke 36 -- (16) Arkansas-Pine Bluff 18 (First Half / 2:46 to go)
(5) Michigan State 31 -- (12) New Mexico State 18 (First Half / 7:11 to go)
(1) Syracuse vs. (16) Vermont (6:30 p.m. PST)
(2) Ohio State vs. (15) UC Santa Barbara (6:35 p.m. PST)
(8) California vs. (9) Louisville (6:45 p.m. PST)
(4) Maryland vs. (13) Houston (7:00 p.m. PST)
*Updated at 5:12 p.m. PST*
refference
Day Two Scoreboard
Fess Parker, Star Of 'Davy Crockett' And 'Daniel Boone,' Dies at 85 Actor also appeared in Disney films like 'Old Yeller.'
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Fess Parker, whose iconic portrayal of frontiersman Davy Crockett, made him a TV and film star starting in the mid-1950s, died Thursday (March 18) at the age of 85, according to multiple news reports.
A family spokesman told The Associated Press that Parker died at his home of natural causes. Parker was said to be coherent and communicating with his family just minutes before his passing.
Parker launched "Davy Crockett" in December 1954, quickly inspiring an American fad for the coonskin cap his character wore in the show. The three episodes were repurposed the following year as a feature film called "Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier." He followed up that success with a string of Disney films like "Old Yeller" and "Westward Ho the Wagons!"
In the 1960s, Parker again found fame on TV as the star of "Daniel Boone," another show about a frontiersman wearing a coonskin cap. The series ran for six seasons, from 1964 until 1970. Following the conclusion of "Boone," Parker would rarely be seen on the small screen and instead became a real-estate developer and winemaker.
"I left the business after 22 years," he told the AP in 2001. "It was time to leave Hollywood. I came along at a time when I'm starting out with Gary Cooper, John Wayne, Sterling Hayden and Gregory Peck. Who needed a guy running around in a coonskin cap?"
Parker died at his Santa Ynez Valley, California, home on the 84th birthday of his wife, Marcella, to whom he'd been married for 50 years.
"She's a wreck," the family's spokesman said.
Arrangements for a funeral will be announced later.
Brazil's president has criticised Israeli policies towards the Palestinians, warning that Israel's separation barrier, its blockade of Gaza and its continued settlement building was extinguishing "the candle of hope".
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva made his comments while on a visit to the West Bank where, on Wednesday, he placed a wreath on the tomb Yasser Arafat, the late Palestinian leader.
What Lula terms his "mission of peace" began in Israel on Tuesday, and is the first visit by a sitting Brazilian president to Israel and the Palestinian territories.
Brazil is Israel's largest trading partner in Latin America, but it also has close ties to Iran and Lula has defended Iran's nuclear ambitions, which Tehran says are peaceful but which Israel sees as a potential threat.
Lula laid a yellow and green wreath on Arafat's mausoleum in Ramallah and told a crowd of Palestinian officials and several dozen people waving Brazil's flag that he had participated in pro-Palestinian protests in the past.
Later Lula said that Brazil was willing to talk to Hamas, which is listed by the European Union and the US as a "terrorist" organisation.
"Brazil is prepared to talk to everybody," he said. "All the parties involved must be listened to."
International player
Lula's comments are unlikely to have endeared him to Israel.
A day earlier, Avigdor Lieberman, Israel's foreign minister, said he had boycotted meetings with Lula because the Brazilian president did not pay a visit to the grave of Theodor Herzl, one of the founders of Zionism.
Colin Harding, London-based a Latin America analyst, told Al Jazeera that Lula's visit aimed at helping Brazil emerge as a bigger player on the world stage.
"Brazil, under Lula, has been pressing very hard for a permanent seat on the Security Council of the United Nations, and if Brazil can intervene in some effective way in the Middle East crisis, this would clearly do Brazil's chances no harm at all," he said.
"Their unique selling point in the Middle East is their engagement with Iran ... and I think they hope this policy of engagement will help to bring Iran in as part of the solution rather than part of the problem."
EU efforts
Also visiting Palestinian leaders on Wednesday was Catherine Ashton, the European Union's foreign policy chief, on the first leg of a two-day visit to the region.
Like Lula, Ashton has criticised Israeli settlement building, telling Arab leaders in Cairo on Monday that the settlements threaten peace talks and are illegal.
During a joint news conference in occupied Jerusalem with Lieberman, Ashton also called for the immediate resumption of peace talks.
"I believe that it's in the long term interest of this country that this government, together with the Palestinians, determine that future and the sooner we get to the talks, the better," she said.
She also said the so-called Quartet of Middle East negotiators would be "reinvigorated" in their efforts.
Economic pressures
Jacky Rowland, Al Jazeera's Jerusalem correspondent, said: "I think plenty of people on the ground here have wondered what the Quartet is - it's this body that brings together the Russians, the Americans the EU and the UN - but actually it hasn't been seen to be having much impact here on the ground."
She continued: "It's difficult to say exactly how pressure on Israel might be exerted, it certainly wouldn't be exerted in public press conference, it's far more likely to go on behind the scenes.
"What Ashton did stress though was that the EU's role was much more an economic one than a political one ... she said the EU was there to provide the economic weight to support the process."
A Quartet meeting to be held in Moscow this week appears likely to be dominated by the issue of Israel's settlement construction.
Israel's continued settlement building has caused a crisis Israel relations with the US after Israel unveiled plans to construct 1,600 new homes on occupied Palestinian land during a visit by Joesph Biden, the US vice-president.
(http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/03/201031720103186677.html)
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva made his comments while on a visit to the West Bank where, on Wednesday, he placed a wreath on the tomb Yasser Arafat, the late Palestinian leader.
What Lula terms his "mission of peace" began in Israel on Tuesday, and is the first visit by a sitting Brazilian president to Israel and the Palestinian territories.
Brazil is Israel's largest trading partner in Latin America, but it also has close ties to Iran and Lula has defended Iran's nuclear ambitions, which Tehran says are peaceful but which Israel sees as a potential threat.
Lula laid a yellow and green wreath on Arafat's mausoleum in Ramallah and told a crowd of Palestinian officials and several dozen people waving Brazil's flag that he had participated in pro-Palestinian protests in the past.
Later Lula said that Brazil was willing to talk to Hamas, which is listed by the European Union and the US as a "terrorist" organisation.
"Brazil is prepared to talk to everybody," he said. "All the parties involved must be listened to."
International player
Lula's comments are unlikely to have endeared him to Israel.
A day earlier, Avigdor Lieberman, Israel's foreign minister, said he had boycotted meetings with Lula because the Brazilian president did not pay a visit to the grave of Theodor Herzl, one of the founders of Zionism.
Colin Harding, London-based a Latin America analyst, told Al Jazeera that Lula's visit aimed at helping Brazil emerge as a bigger player on the world stage.
"Brazil, under Lula, has been pressing very hard for a permanent seat on the Security Council of the United Nations, and if Brazil can intervene in some effective way in the Middle East crisis, this would clearly do Brazil's chances no harm at all," he said.
"Their unique selling point in the Middle East is their engagement with Iran ... and I think they hope this policy of engagement will help to bring Iran in as part of the solution rather than part of the problem."
EU efforts
Also visiting Palestinian leaders on Wednesday was Catherine Ashton, the European Union's foreign policy chief, on the first leg of a two-day visit to the region.
Like Lula, Ashton has criticised Israeli settlement building, telling Arab leaders in Cairo on Monday that the settlements threaten peace talks and are illegal.
During a joint news conference in occupied Jerusalem with Lieberman, Ashton also called for the immediate resumption of peace talks.
"I believe that it's in the long term interest of this country that this government, together with the Palestinians, determine that future and the sooner we get to the talks, the better," she said.
She also said the so-called Quartet of Middle East negotiators would be "reinvigorated" in their efforts.
Economic pressures
Jacky Rowland, Al Jazeera's Jerusalem correspondent, said: "I think plenty of people on the ground here have wondered what the Quartet is - it's this body that brings together the Russians, the Americans the EU and the UN - but actually it hasn't been seen to be having much impact here on the ground."
She continued: "It's difficult to say exactly how pressure on Israel might be exerted, it certainly wouldn't be exerted in public press conference, it's far more likely to go on behind the scenes.
"What Ashton did stress though was that the EU's role was much more an economic one than a political one ... she said the EU was there to provide the economic weight to support the process."
A Quartet meeting to be held in Moscow this week appears likely to be dominated by the issue of Israel's settlement construction.
Israel's continued settlement building has caused a crisis Israel relations with the US after Israel unveiled plans to construct 1,600 new homes on occupied Palestinian land during a visit by Joesph Biden, the US vice-president.
(http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/03/201031720103186677.html)
There will be an awkwardness when Tiger Woods returns to the Masters and sees his colleagues for the first time in four months.
What do you say to him?
It’s a real, practical issue for players who will see Woods for the first time since the scandal broke in Woods’ life. The greetings will be part of the healing process the entire PGA Tour will take part in when Woods tees it up at Augusta National in three weeks.
“I think you say hello, and you say, `It’s good to have you back,’ and you ease your way in,” said Jim Furyk. “He doesn’t spend a lot of time in the locker room anyway.”
Kenny Perry has a plan.
“I'm going to go give him a hug," Perry said. "I'm going up there and get right in his face and tell him if I can do anything for him, let me know."
British Open champ Stewart Cink has thought about the awkwardness sure to be there.
“When he walks into that locker room or dining area for the first time, it’s going to be like there’s a giant elephant in the room,” Cink told CBSSportsline.
Steve Stricker has his plan.
“I’m not going to treat Tiger any differently,” Stricker said.
(http://www.thegolfchannel.com/shag-bag/hello-tiger-and-what-do-you-say-next-35588/)
No. 7 BYU vs. No. 10 Florida NCAA Tournament First Round March 18, 2010 Ford Center (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
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Player Notes
— Jimmer Fredette scored a game-high 37 points, shooting 13-of-26 from the field with 3 assists, 2 steals and 1 block.
— Michael Loyd, Jr. scored a career-high 26 points, shooting 7-of-10 from the field and 9-of-10 from the free throw line, adding 4 steals and 2 rebounds.
— Fredette ended his free throw streak at 37, two short of the mark he set earlier this season. Fredette hit 21 against TCU, all 12 of his attempts versus UNLV, and 4-of-4 against Florida before missing.
— Fredette made 3 treys, his 19th game with multiple threes.
Team Notes
— BYU won its first NCAA Tournament game since 1993, snapping a seven-game losing streak.
— The game was the first to go to double overtime and the second to reach overtime in BYU’s NCAA history. BYU’s first NCAA Tournament overtime game was versus NC-Charlotte in 1988.
— In the first half, BYU had 9 points off Florida turnovers compared to zero for the Gators.
— This is the Cougars’ 25th NCAA Tournament appearance. BYU has a 12-27 record in the tournament.
— BYU is 3-0 all-time against Florida, having also defeated the Cougars in 1959 and 1991.
— With the win, BYU broke Florida’s 12-game NCAA tournament win streak.
Record Watch
— Fredette’s 37 points tied Danny Ainge for the most points in an NCAA Tournament game by a BYU player. Ainge scored 37 against UCLA in 1981.
— Loyd’s 26 points ties for the seventh-most in BYU NCAA Tournament history, tying Gary Trost vs. SMU in 1993.
— The combined 63 points of Fredette and Loyd is the most by any two players in the same NCAA Tournament game in BYU history and the second time two players have scored 20 or more points. Russell Larson and Kenneth Roberts scored 20 apiece against Tulane in 1995.
— Fredette’s 26 field goals attempted are the most in a game in BYU NCAA Tournament history while his 13 made field goals are the second-most.
— Loyd’s 4 steals ties his career high and is the second-most in BYU NCAA Tournament history, tying Nathan Call in 1992 and Jimmer Fredette in 2009.
— Fredette’s 46 minutes played is the most by a player in BYU NCAA Tournament history, passing Michael Smith’s 42 minutes versus NC-Charlotte in 1988. Jackson Emery’s 40 minutes ties for third all-time.
— Tyler Haws has converted 42 free throws in a row, passing Jimmer Fredette’s record of 39 set earlier this season as the longest in BYU history. The freshman forward has been perfect from the line after hitting his last five against Colorado State, going 10-of-10 at Wyoming, 8-of-8 against SDSU, 5-of-5 against New Mexico, 4-of-4 at Utah, 6-of-6 versus TCU and 4-of-4 against Florida.
— BYU won its 30th game of the season, the first time a Cougar team has reached 30 wins.
— BYU is 30-1 this season when leading at the half. BYU held a 35-33 advantage against Florida.
— Fredette has scored the fourth-most career points through his first three seasons of any player in BYU history with 1,510 points. Danny Ainge (1,685), Michael Smith (1,554) and Kresimir Cosic (1,512) are the only players with more points through their first three seasons.
— With 6 points vs. Florida, Jonathan Tavernari has 1,512 career points, tying Kresimir Cosic for 11th all-time.
— With 37 points vs. Florida, Jimmer Fredette has 1,510 career points. Fredette is currently 3 points from passing Tavernari and Cosic for 11th all-time.
— With 1 steal, Jackson Emery is 17 steals behind Tavernari for 3rd on the BYU all-time steals list.
Game Trends
— Michael Loyd, Jr. went on an 10-0 run by himself, shooting 4-of-4, including two treys, giving BYU a 31-28 lead after the Cougars trailed by seven.
— BYU made six-consecutive shots from the 5:56 mark to the 2:49 mark, including four-straight by Loyd, one by Noah Hartsock, and one by Tyler Haws.
— The Cougars went on a 14-2 run over 5:55 in the first half.
— BYU held Florida to one field goal in the last seven minutes of the first half.
— Fredette made 10 of BYU’s 12 points early in the second half. He and Haws scored BYU’s first 14 points of the second half over the period’s first 8:14.
— Loyd scored all six of BYU's points in the first overtime.
BYU Head Coach Dave Rose
“You could see a real resolve on the faces of our players. That’s how we’ve won 30 games.”
“This team’s been through a lot and Mike [Loyd, Jr.] has really benefited from the struggles Jimmer has had. It got Mike really involved in our offensive schemes.
On Michael Loyd, Jr.: “He was unbelievable, he played on attack. Not only offensively, but he was really disruptive defensively and gave us a chance to hold down Walker and Boynton, two really, really good guards.”
“I don’t think you count on scoring 99 points to win. We’ll have to score at a pretty good clip. They’re big, physical and strong. But I’ve got a lot of confidence in our guys. They’ve stood up to a lot of challenges this year.
On Jimmer Fredette: “He’s a really versatile guy and hard to stop from scoring. You never really expect him to miss, especially when he gets to the rim. They weren’t bringing a second defender early in the game. Those two big threes he hit late, we’ve seen that all year long. He’s confident, the coaching staff has confidence in him and the team has confidence in him.”
Jimmer Fredette
“It’s getting rest. Luckily we have a day to rest, get a game plan in and practice a bit and not worry about this game anymore.”
On Kansas State: “We have to start quick I think, get out and get our adrenaline going again. You just have to go out and play as best as you possibly can.”
(http://www.byucougars.com/Filing.jsp?ID=13725)
— Jimmer Fredette scored a game-high 37 points, shooting 13-of-26 from the field with 3 assists, 2 steals and 1 block.
— Michael Loyd, Jr. scored a career-high 26 points, shooting 7-of-10 from the field and 9-of-10 from the free throw line, adding 4 steals and 2 rebounds.
— Fredette ended his free throw streak at 37, two short of the mark he set earlier this season. Fredette hit 21 against TCU, all 12 of his attempts versus UNLV, and 4-of-4 against Florida before missing.
— Fredette made 3 treys, his 19th game with multiple threes.
Team Notes
— BYU won its first NCAA Tournament game since 1993, snapping a seven-game losing streak.
— The game was the first to go to double overtime and the second to reach overtime in BYU’s NCAA history. BYU’s first NCAA Tournament overtime game was versus NC-Charlotte in 1988.
— In the first half, BYU had 9 points off Florida turnovers compared to zero for the Gators.
— This is the Cougars’ 25th NCAA Tournament appearance. BYU has a 12-27 record in the tournament.
— BYU is 3-0 all-time against Florida, having also defeated the Cougars in 1959 and 1991.
— With the win, BYU broke Florida’s 12-game NCAA tournament win streak.
Record Watch
— Fredette’s 37 points tied Danny Ainge for the most points in an NCAA Tournament game by a BYU player. Ainge scored 37 against UCLA in 1981.
— Loyd’s 26 points ties for the seventh-most in BYU NCAA Tournament history, tying Gary Trost vs. SMU in 1993.
— The combined 63 points of Fredette and Loyd is the most by any two players in the same NCAA Tournament game in BYU history and the second time two players have scored 20 or more points. Russell Larson and Kenneth Roberts scored 20 apiece against Tulane in 1995.
— Fredette’s 26 field goals attempted are the most in a game in BYU NCAA Tournament history while his 13 made field goals are the second-most.
— Loyd’s 4 steals ties his career high and is the second-most in BYU NCAA Tournament history, tying Nathan Call in 1992 and Jimmer Fredette in 2009.
— Fredette’s 46 minutes played is the most by a player in BYU NCAA Tournament history, passing Michael Smith’s 42 minutes versus NC-Charlotte in 1988. Jackson Emery’s 40 minutes ties for third all-time.
— Tyler Haws has converted 42 free throws in a row, passing Jimmer Fredette’s record of 39 set earlier this season as the longest in BYU history. The freshman forward has been perfect from the line after hitting his last five against Colorado State, going 10-of-10 at Wyoming, 8-of-8 against SDSU, 5-of-5 against New Mexico, 4-of-4 at Utah, 6-of-6 versus TCU and 4-of-4 against Florida.
— BYU won its 30th game of the season, the first time a Cougar team has reached 30 wins.
— BYU is 30-1 this season when leading at the half. BYU held a 35-33 advantage against Florida.
— Fredette has scored the fourth-most career points through his first three seasons of any player in BYU history with 1,510 points. Danny Ainge (1,685), Michael Smith (1,554) and Kresimir Cosic (1,512) are the only players with more points through their first three seasons.
— With 6 points vs. Florida, Jonathan Tavernari has 1,512 career points, tying Kresimir Cosic for 11th all-time.
— With 37 points vs. Florida, Jimmer Fredette has 1,510 career points. Fredette is currently 3 points from passing Tavernari and Cosic for 11th all-time.
— With 1 steal, Jackson Emery is 17 steals behind Tavernari for 3rd on the BYU all-time steals list.
Game Trends
— Michael Loyd, Jr. went on an 10-0 run by himself, shooting 4-of-4, including two treys, giving BYU a 31-28 lead after the Cougars trailed by seven.
— BYU made six-consecutive shots from the 5:56 mark to the 2:49 mark, including four-straight by Loyd, one by Noah Hartsock, and one by Tyler Haws.
— The Cougars went on a 14-2 run over 5:55 in the first half.
— BYU held Florida to one field goal in the last seven minutes of the first half.
— Fredette made 10 of BYU’s 12 points early in the second half. He and Haws scored BYU’s first 14 points of the second half over the period’s first 8:14.
— Loyd scored all six of BYU's points in the first overtime.
BYU Head Coach Dave Rose
“You could see a real resolve on the faces of our players. That’s how we’ve won 30 games.”
“This team’s been through a lot and Mike [Loyd, Jr.] has really benefited from the struggles Jimmer has had. It got Mike really involved in our offensive schemes.
On Michael Loyd, Jr.: “He was unbelievable, he played on attack. Not only offensively, but he was really disruptive defensively and gave us a chance to hold down Walker and Boynton, two really, really good guards.”
“I don’t think you count on scoring 99 points to win. We’ll have to score at a pretty good clip. They’re big, physical and strong. But I’ve got a lot of confidence in our guys. They’ve stood up to a lot of challenges this year.
On Jimmer Fredette: “He’s a really versatile guy and hard to stop from scoring. You never really expect him to miss, especially when he gets to the rim. They weren’t bringing a second defender early in the game. Those two big threes he hit late, we’ve seen that all year long. He’s confident, the coaching staff has confidence in him and the team has confidence in him.”
Jimmer Fredette
“It’s getting rest. Luckily we have a day to rest, get a game plan in and practice a bit and not worry about this game anymore.”
On Kansas State: “We have to start quick I think, get out and get our adrenaline going again. You just have to go out and play as best as you possibly can.”
(http://www.byucougars.com/Filing.jsp?ID=13725)
It's a sad day for Gators fans as they went one-and-done after Florida made their debut in the NCAA for the first time in three years. The Gators played in the first round of the tournament this afternoon with Brigham Young University. Although it was looking hopeful for the Florida team at first, the game went into double overtime, ending in a heart-breaking 99-92 loss for the Gators.
Associate head coach Larry Shyatt says despite the loss, the team still played hard against one of the top-scoring teams in the country. Although the outcome was less than expected, Florida still had top performers in the game. Freshman Guard Kenny Boynton lead the Gators in the tourney with 27 points. Forward Chandler Parsons gave the Gators an extra 20 points with 10 assists while Center Vernon Macklin made seven of nine field goal attempts. With all the hype before the of the Florida Gators Men's basketball team being back in the four-letter tournament, the local economy was hoping to see a boost in Gator gear sales. However, the fans took a less interested approach, and the numbers weren't showing the increase that was orginally expected. Gator Plus Manager Christina Roedenwall says it was suprise to many that the Gators to make it this far, leading to less than hopeful sales. With the basketball season officially over, the Florida fans are going to have to wait a while before they see the team in action again.
(http://www.am850.com/news/archives/2010/03/sad_day_for_gator_basketball.asp)
Associate head coach Larry Shyatt says despite the loss, the team still played hard against one of the top-scoring teams in the country. Although the outcome was less than expected, Florida still had top performers in the game. Freshman Guard Kenny Boynton lead the Gators in the tourney with 27 points. Forward Chandler Parsons gave the Gators an extra 20 points with 10 assists while Center Vernon Macklin made seven of nine field goal attempts. With all the hype before the of the Florida Gators Men's basketball team being back in the four-letter tournament, the local economy was hoping to see a boost in Gator gear sales. However, the fans took a less interested approach, and the numbers weren't showing the increase that was orginally expected. Gator Plus Manager Christina Roedenwall says it was suprise to many that the Gators to make it this far, leading to less than hopeful sales. With the basketball season officially over, the Florida fans are going to have to wait a while before they see the team in action again.
(http://www.am850.com/news/archives/2010/03/sad_day_for_gator_basketball.asp)
Oh wow! They really split up! Yeah, believe me! I read a lot of news that confirmed their break up. Sandra Bullock and Jesse James relationship is officially over! They’ve split up! Again, they have split up. If you don’t want to believe me, then don’t. I just knew it! Sandra Bullock Jesse James Split! Sandra Bullock Jesse James Split! This is what people are looking right now! You know why? Because they can’t believe that it’s true and the news about Sandra Bullock Jesse James Split is not true.
They thought it was just a rumor, but it’s not. It’s 100% true and Sandra Bullock is crying like crazy right now. After she won as the best and worst last Razzies and Oscars, Jesse James left her! Jesse James is jealous of her awards! That’s why! Haha!
Anyway, here’s a news from Showbiz Gossips regarding the Sandra Bullock Jesse James Split Up
They thought it was just a rumor, but it’s not. It’s 100% true and Sandra Bullock is crying like crazy right now. After she won as the best and worst last Razzies and Oscars, Jesse James left her! Jesse James is jealous of her awards! That’s why! Haha!
Anyway, here’s a news from Showbiz Gossips regarding the Sandra Bullock Jesse James Split Up
WASHINGTON – House Democrats triggered the countdown Monday for the climactic vote on President Barack Obama's fiercely contested remake of the health care system, even though the legislation remained incomplete and lacked the votes needed to pass.
Obama expressed optimism Congress would approve his call for affordable and nearly universal coverage as he pitched his plan on a trip to Ohio, and congressional leaders showed signs of progress in winning anti-abortion Democrats whose votes are pivotal.
At the same time, Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., among the bill's sharpest opponents, said he was "less confident" than before that it could be stopped.
"They'd have to be remarkable people not to fall under the kind of pressure they'll be under," he said of rank-and-file Democrats.
Some of the pressure was aimed at Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, who flew aboard Air Force One with President Barack Obama during the day, then walked into a senior citizen center with the chief executive in time to hear a voice from the audience yell out, "Vote yes."
A smiling Obama turned to the liberal lawmaker and said, "Did you hear that, Dennis?" Then, turning back to the audience, he added, "Go ahead, say that again."
"Vote yes!" came back the reply.
Kucinich, who said later he remains uncommitted, is one of 37 Democrats currently in the House who voted against Obama's legislation when it cleared the House last fall.
In addition, the White House is laboring to hold the support of several other Democrats who voted for the earlier bill, but only after first supporting strict anti-abortion limits that would be altered the second time around.
At least two have signaled they are open to supporting the president when the vote comes. One of them, Rep. James Oberstar of Minnesota, is "in the leaning yes column," said a spokesman, John Schadl.
"When we bring the bill to the floor, then we will have the votes," said Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Obama sounded similarly confident in an interview with ABC News. "I believe we're going to get the votes, we're going to make this happen," said the president, who has traveled to three states and lobbied numerous lawmakers in recent days.
Outside interests on both sides sought to prevail on wavering lawmakers.
The National Right to Life Committee, which opposes abortions, wrote to lawmakers that support for the Senate bill would be a "career-defining pro-abortion vote."
Union groups and other supporters announced a $1.3 million advertising campaign urging 17 House Democrats to vote for the measure, and officials at the Service Employees International Union threatened to withdraw support from Democrats who vote against the bill if it loses.
The lobbying came as the House Budget Committee, on a 21-16 vote, took an essential first step toward the House vote, which could come by the weekend.
It was more than a year ago that Obama asked Congress to approve legislation extending health coverage to tens of millions who lack it, curbing industry practices such as denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions, and beginning to slow the growth of health care nationally. His plan would require most Americans to buy health insurance, fine most who fail to do so and provide government subsidies to help middle-income earners and the working poor afford it.
Sweeping legislation seemed to be on the brink of passage in January, after both houses approved bills and lawmakers began working out a final compromise in talks at the White House. But those efforts were sidetracked when Republicans won a special election in Massachusetts — and with it, the ability to block a vote on a final bill in the Senate.
Now, nearly two months later, lawmakers have embarked on a two-step approach that requires the House to approve the measure passed by the Senate, despite misgivings on key provisions. That would be followed by both houses quickly passing a second bill that makes numerous changes to the first. In the Senate, that second bill would come to a vote under rules that deny Republicans the ability to filibuster.
The details of the second, fix-it measure were closely guarded — and subject to last-minute changes. In general, officials have said they would provide more money for lower-income families unable to afford health care and states that already provide above average coverage for the poor under Medicaid, as well as improved prescription drug coverage under Medicare.
The legislation is expected to delete a provision in the Senate bill that singled out Nebraska for favorable treatment under a requirement to expand Medicaid coverage.
Instead, Democrats may provide as much as $15 billion to a dozen states and the District of Columbia, all of which already voluntarily provide at least some of the coverage that would be required.
Officials said one sticking point remained a Senate-passed provision establishing an independent commission with authority to force greater reductions in future Medicare payment to providers. House Democrats want to curtail the board's powers, but rules may forbid any changes under the complex rules covering the Senate's debate of the measure.
The cost of the overhaul is expected to total $950 billion or more over a decade. It would be covered by higher taxes on the wealthy as well as on some health care providers and high-cost insurance plans.
Several hundred billion dollars would also be cut from planned Medicare increases, much of the burden falling on companies that provide private coverage to seniors under Medicare Advantage.
Obama's trip to Ohio was his third foray outside Washington since he vowed two weeks ago to do everything in his power to pass health care. In recognition of his audience, he stressed improvements in Medicare.
"So let me just tell you directly: this proposal adds almost a decade of solvency" to the program," he said, although he made no mention of the planned reductions in provider payments that would take place.
He added it also would close a gap in prescription drug coverage know as a doughnut hole. "This proposal will over time help reduce the costs of Medicare that you pay every month. And this proposal would make preventive care free so you don't have to pay out-of-pocket for tests that keep you healthy."
Obama did not discuss details, and officials said final details of the prescription drug change remained unsettled. The White House has been seeking a $250 rebate in 2010 for seniors who experience the break in coverage. Beginning in 2011, two thirds of the higher costs they now pay when coverage is interrupted would be covered. The balance would be taken care of in installments over a decade.
Vice President Joseph Biden also traveled to Ohio, where he attended a fundraiser for first-term Rep. Steve Driehaus, D-Ohio.
Driehaus voted for the House version of a health care overhaul in November, and has not yet stated his position on the new measure. Biden made no mention of the legislation in his remarks.
(Eds: Associated Press reporters Ben Feller, Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Erica Werner, Alan Fram, Chuck Babington, Ann Sanner and Sam Hananel contributed from Washington. Seanna Adcox contributed from South Carolina.)
Obama expressed optimism Congress would approve his call for affordable and nearly universal coverage as he pitched his plan on a trip to Ohio, and congressional leaders showed signs of progress in winning anti-abortion Democrats whose votes are pivotal.
At the same time, Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., among the bill's sharpest opponents, said he was "less confident" than before that it could be stopped.
"They'd have to be remarkable people not to fall under the kind of pressure they'll be under," he said of rank-and-file Democrats.
Some of the pressure was aimed at Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, who flew aboard Air Force One with President Barack Obama during the day, then walked into a senior citizen center with the chief executive in time to hear a voice from the audience yell out, "Vote yes."
A smiling Obama turned to the liberal lawmaker and said, "Did you hear that, Dennis?" Then, turning back to the audience, he added, "Go ahead, say that again."
"Vote yes!" came back the reply.
Kucinich, who said later he remains uncommitted, is one of 37 Democrats currently in the House who voted against Obama's legislation when it cleared the House last fall.
In addition, the White House is laboring to hold the support of several other Democrats who voted for the earlier bill, but only after first supporting strict anti-abortion limits that would be altered the second time around.
At least two have signaled they are open to supporting the president when the vote comes. One of them, Rep. James Oberstar of Minnesota, is "in the leaning yes column," said a spokesman, John Schadl.
"When we bring the bill to the floor, then we will have the votes," said Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Obama sounded similarly confident in an interview with ABC News. "I believe we're going to get the votes, we're going to make this happen," said the president, who has traveled to three states and lobbied numerous lawmakers in recent days.
Outside interests on both sides sought to prevail on wavering lawmakers.
The National Right to Life Committee, which opposes abortions, wrote to lawmakers that support for the Senate bill would be a "career-defining pro-abortion vote."
Union groups and other supporters announced a $1.3 million advertising campaign urging 17 House Democrats to vote for the measure, and officials at the Service Employees International Union threatened to withdraw support from Democrats who vote against the bill if it loses.
The lobbying came as the House Budget Committee, on a 21-16 vote, took an essential first step toward the House vote, which could come by the weekend.
It was more than a year ago that Obama asked Congress to approve legislation extending health coverage to tens of millions who lack it, curbing industry practices such as denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions, and beginning to slow the growth of health care nationally. His plan would require most Americans to buy health insurance, fine most who fail to do so and provide government subsidies to help middle-income earners and the working poor afford it.
Sweeping legislation seemed to be on the brink of passage in January, after both houses approved bills and lawmakers began working out a final compromise in talks at the White House. But those efforts were sidetracked when Republicans won a special election in Massachusetts — and with it, the ability to block a vote on a final bill in the Senate.
Now, nearly two months later, lawmakers have embarked on a two-step approach that requires the House to approve the measure passed by the Senate, despite misgivings on key provisions. That would be followed by both houses quickly passing a second bill that makes numerous changes to the first. In the Senate, that second bill would come to a vote under rules that deny Republicans the ability to filibuster.
The details of the second, fix-it measure were closely guarded — and subject to last-minute changes. In general, officials have said they would provide more money for lower-income families unable to afford health care and states that already provide above average coverage for the poor under Medicaid, as well as improved prescription drug coverage under Medicare.
The legislation is expected to delete a provision in the Senate bill that singled out Nebraska for favorable treatment under a requirement to expand Medicaid coverage.
Instead, Democrats may provide as much as $15 billion to a dozen states and the District of Columbia, all of which already voluntarily provide at least some of the coverage that would be required.
Officials said one sticking point remained a Senate-passed provision establishing an independent commission with authority to force greater reductions in future Medicare payment to providers. House Democrats want to curtail the board's powers, but rules may forbid any changes under the complex rules covering the Senate's debate of the measure.
The cost of the overhaul is expected to total $950 billion or more over a decade. It would be covered by higher taxes on the wealthy as well as on some health care providers and high-cost insurance plans.
Several hundred billion dollars would also be cut from planned Medicare increases, much of the burden falling on companies that provide private coverage to seniors under Medicare Advantage.
Obama's trip to Ohio was his third foray outside Washington since he vowed two weeks ago to do everything in his power to pass health care. In recognition of his audience, he stressed improvements in Medicare.
"So let me just tell you directly: this proposal adds almost a decade of solvency" to the program," he said, although he made no mention of the planned reductions in provider payments that would take place.
He added it also would close a gap in prescription drug coverage know as a doughnut hole. "This proposal will over time help reduce the costs of Medicare that you pay every month. And this proposal would make preventive care free so you don't have to pay out-of-pocket for tests that keep you healthy."
Obama did not discuss details, and officials said final details of the prescription drug change remained unsettled. The White House has been seeking a $250 rebate in 2010 for seniors who experience the break in coverage. Beginning in 2011, two thirds of the higher costs they now pay when coverage is interrupted would be covered. The balance would be taken care of in installments over a decade.
Vice President Joseph Biden also traveled to Ohio, where he attended a fundraiser for first-term Rep. Steve Driehaus, D-Ohio.
Driehaus voted for the House version of a health care overhaul in November, and has not yet stated his position on the new measure. Biden made no mention of the legislation in his remarks.
(Eds: Associated Press reporters Ben Feller, Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Erica Werner, Alan Fram, Chuck Babington, Ann Sanner and Sam Hananel contributed from Washington. Seanna Adcox contributed from South Carolina.)
WASHINGTON – US Gen. David Petraeus charged Tuesday that the Arab-Israeli conflict hurts America’s ability to advance its interests in the Middle East, fomenting anti-American sentiment and limiting America’s strategic partnerships with Arab governments.
Petraeus called the conflict one of the “root causes of instability” and “obstacles to security” in the region – which aids al-Qaida – and argued that serious progress in the peace process could weaken Iran’s reach, as it uses the conflict to fuel support for its terror group proxies.
Petraeus, commander of the US military’s Central Command, a zone that ranges from Egypt to Pakistan, but excludes Israel and the Palestinian Authority, offered the assessment in a prepared testimony for the Senate Armed Services Committee.
“The enduring hostilities between Israel and some of its neighbors present distinct challenges to our ability to advance our interests,” he said in the written testimony. “Arab anger over the Palestinian question limits the strength and depth of US partnerships with governments and peoples in the [Middle East] and weakens the legitimacy of moderate regimes in the Arab world.”
He continued that the conflict also helps al-Qaida and other terrorist groups “exploit that anger to mobilize support,” and gives Iran “influence” through its clients Hizbullah and Hamas.
“A credible US effort on Arab-Israeli issues that provides regional governments and populations a way to achieve a comprehensive settlement of the disputes would undercut Iran’s policy of militant ‘resistance,’” he said.
In the past, Israel has strongly pushed back against similar attempts to place the Palestinian issue at the center of America’s challenges with Arab countries and the wider Muslim world, particularly the notion that solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was the key to resolving the region’s woes.
To the extent that similar judgments have been rendered before, they have traditionally been voiced by American political leaders and policy-makers. Petraeus, in contrast, is a uniformed general who is particularly well-regarded in Washington for turning around the insurgency in Iraq.
The Israeli Embassy declined to comment Wednesday on his statements.
In other remarks on Iran, Petraeus indicated that the West had made progress in setting back the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.
Asked how much time remained before Iran would be able to build a nuclear weapon, Petraeus did not give a precise answer, but did say, “It has, thankfully, slid to the right a bit, and it is not this calendar year, I don’t think.”
n his written testimony, he assessed, “It appears that, at a minimum, Teheran is keeping open the option to develop nuclear weapons. Iran continues to develop and improve its uranium enrichment infrastructure and is likely to use its gas centrifuges to produce fissile material for a weapon, should it make the political decision to do so.”
He also said that “the Iranian regime is the primary state-level threat to stability in the region,” and that the regime uses the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps to “execute covert aspects of its foreign policy using political influence, covert businesses, lethal and non-lethal aid, and training to militants supportive of the regime’s agenda,” particularly in Syria, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.
diambil dari (http://www.jpost.com/)
Petraeus called the conflict one of the “root causes of instability” and “obstacles to security” in the region – which aids al-Qaida – and argued that serious progress in the peace process could weaken Iran’s reach, as it uses the conflict to fuel support for its terror group proxies.
Petraeus, commander of the US military’s Central Command, a zone that ranges from Egypt to Pakistan, but excludes Israel and the Palestinian Authority, offered the assessment in a prepared testimony for the Senate Armed Services Committee.
“The enduring hostilities between Israel and some of its neighbors present distinct challenges to our ability to advance our interests,” he said in the written testimony. “Arab anger over the Palestinian question limits the strength and depth of US partnerships with governments and peoples in the [Middle East] and weakens the legitimacy of moderate regimes in the Arab world.”
He continued that the conflict also helps al-Qaida and other terrorist groups “exploit that anger to mobilize support,” and gives Iran “influence” through its clients Hizbullah and Hamas.
“A credible US effort on Arab-Israeli issues that provides regional governments and populations a way to achieve a comprehensive settlement of the disputes would undercut Iran’s policy of militant ‘resistance,’” he said.
In the past, Israel has strongly pushed back against similar attempts to place the Palestinian issue at the center of America’s challenges with Arab countries and the wider Muslim world, particularly the notion that solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was the key to resolving the region’s woes.
To the extent that similar judgments have been rendered before, they have traditionally been voiced by American political leaders and policy-makers. Petraeus, in contrast, is a uniformed general who is particularly well-regarded in Washington for turning around the insurgency in Iraq.
The Israeli Embassy declined to comment Wednesday on his statements.
In other remarks on Iran, Petraeus indicated that the West had made progress in setting back the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.
Asked how much time remained before Iran would be able to build a nuclear weapon, Petraeus did not give a precise answer, but did say, “It has, thankfully, slid to the right a bit, and it is not this calendar year, I don’t think.”
n his written testimony, he assessed, “It appears that, at a minimum, Teheran is keeping open the option to develop nuclear weapons. Iran continues to develop and improve its uranium enrichment infrastructure and is likely to use its gas centrifuges to produce fissile material for a weapon, should it make the political decision to do so.”
He also said that “the Iranian regime is the primary state-level threat to stability in the region,” and that the regime uses the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps to “execute covert aspects of its foreign policy using political influence, covert businesses, lethal and non-lethal aid, and training to militants supportive of the regime’s agenda,” particularly in Syria, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.
diambil dari (http://www.jpost.com/)
While Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu convened his six senior ministers on Wednesday night to discuss the crisis with Washington, US President Barack Obama on Wednesday said the US-Israeli relationship is not in crisis over the approval of an east Jerusalem building plan during US vice President Joe Biden's visit to Israel,.
Obama told Fox News Channel that the new housing units "weren't helpful" in carving out a peace between Israelis and Palestinians, but that Washington remains a committed ally for Israel.
The expansion of Ramat Shlomo was a poor choice for Israel, Obama said, but added that, "Friends are going to disagree sometimes."
In Jerusalem, Netanyahu convened the inner cabinet night to discuss the situation, amid reports the Obama administration is conditioning any high-level meetings with Netanyahu in Washington next week on receiving a response to its new demands.
The US, during Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s conversation with Netanyahu on Friday, reportedly demanded that Israel stop the Ramat Shlomo projects in northern Jerusalem, make confidence-building gestures to the Palestinians, and agree that the proximity talks with the Palestinian Authority will deal with core issues of borders, refugees and Jerusalem, and not just technical issues.
Channel 2 reported on Wednesday night that the administration told Netanyahu that until a response to these requests had been received, he would not be able to meet any high level US officials on his upcoming trip to Washington to address the American Israel Public Affairs Committee policy conference.
Prior to the explosion of the Ramat Shlomo issue last week, Netanyahu was expected to meet with both Clinton and Biden during his visit. Now neither meeting is confirmed.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak spoke Wednesday night with US Middle East envoy George Mitchell, and – according to a statement issued by Barak – discussed possible solutions to the crisis and ways to restart negotiations with the Palestinians.
The two also discussed the possibility of Mitchell coming to the region on Sunday.
The prime minister is expected to leave on Sunday evening, but his schedule – with the exception of a Monday evening speech to AIPAC and a Tuesday meeting with Jewish congressional members – has not been finalized. He is set to stop in Brussels on his way back for meetings with key European leaders.
Obama is scheduled to be in Indonesia when Netanyahu arrives, though the two were – prior to the recent events – expected to meet a few weeks later at Obama’s nuclear security conference, which is to be attended by some 40 world leaders, including Netanyahu.
Netanyahu spoke by phone with Biden on Tuesday evening, but no details of that conversation were provided either by Israel or the US.
One of the members of Netanyahu’s inner cabinet, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, made it clear on Wednesday that he felt demands on Israel to stop building in east Jerusalem were “unreasonable.”
Lieberman said the international community sees this as an opportunity to “pile on” Israel, pressure Israel and “make unreasonable demands.”
“The demand to forbid Jews to buy or build in east Jerusalem is simply unreasonable,” he said, adding that a similar Israeli policy to forbid Arabs from buying or building in west Jerusalem would be characterized as apartheid.
Lieberman’s comments came after a meeting with the EU’s visiting foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.
Ashton, who sharply criticized an Interior Ministry committee’s approval last week of plans to build 1,600 housing units in the Ramat Shlomo neighborhood, did not add to her comments on Wednesday, saying the EU’s position on the matter was known.
But President Shimon Peres alluded to a possible middle ground between Israel’s position on Jerusalem and the growing demands, now backed by Washington, to stop all Jewish building in the city over the Green Line.
Speaking to a group of high school students in Holon, Peres said that previous governments built in new Jewish neighborhoods beyond the Green Line, but avoided construction in Arab neighborhoods, hinting that this might be a formula that the US would accept.
Peres said that Israel and the Palestinians agreed on this formula in the past. He also said that he is speaking with both Netanyahu and American officials about the issue.
“Everyone is interested in reaching an understanding,” he said.
Before meeting with Lieberman, Ashton – who arrived on Wednesday for a one-day visit that will also take her to Gaza on Thursday morning – went to Ramallah for talks with PA President Mahmoud Abbas. There, PA chief negotiator Saeb Erekat told AFP, Abbas gave her a letter demanding that the EU intervene to pressure Israel to stop all settlement activity anywhere, including in east Jerusalem.
According to Erekat, the letter included maps and other documents about settlement construction carried out since September 2009.
The government does not consider any part of Jerusalem a “settlement.”
Lieberman, during his press conference with Ashton, said the two of them also discussed Iran, an issue that has been largely pushed off the agenda over the past week because of the Ramat Shlomo flap.
“Regarding the Iranian issue, it is a crucial time,” Lieberman said, adding that the Iranian policy of playing for time should not be accepted.
“It is time for tough decisions in the Security Council and in Europe,” he said. “It is time for a new Churchill policy, not a Chamberlain policy – and that is our expectation.”
Ashton said that while the EU preferred dialogue with Iran as the “best way to solve the problem,” if that proved fruitless then she advocated going forward in the UN Security Council.
She said that she has been in contact with both the permanent and temporary members of the 15-member council, and is currently waiting for a date when that body will take up the issue.
diambil dari (http://www.jpost.com/)
Obama told Fox News Channel that the new housing units "weren't helpful" in carving out a peace between Israelis and Palestinians, but that Washington remains a committed ally for Israel.
The expansion of Ramat Shlomo was a poor choice for Israel, Obama said, but added that, "Friends are going to disagree sometimes."
In Jerusalem, Netanyahu convened the inner cabinet night to discuss the situation, amid reports the Obama administration is conditioning any high-level meetings with Netanyahu in Washington next week on receiving a response to its new demands.
The US, during Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s conversation with Netanyahu on Friday, reportedly demanded that Israel stop the Ramat Shlomo projects in northern Jerusalem, make confidence-building gestures to the Palestinians, and agree that the proximity talks with the Palestinian Authority will deal with core issues of borders, refugees and Jerusalem, and not just technical issues.
Channel 2 reported on Wednesday night that the administration told Netanyahu that until a response to these requests had been received, he would not be able to meet any high level US officials on his upcoming trip to Washington to address the American Israel Public Affairs Committee policy conference.
Prior to the explosion of the Ramat Shlomo issue last week, Netanyahu was expected to meet with both Clinton and Biden during his visit. Now neither meeting is confirmed.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak spoke Wednesday night with US Middle East envoy George Mitchell, and – according to a statement issued by Barak – discussed possible solutions to the crisis and ways to restart negotiations with the Palestinians.
The two also discussed the possibility of Mitchell coming to the region on Sunday.
The prime minister is expected to leave on Sunday evening, but his schedule – with the exception of a Monday evening speech to AIPAC and a Tuesday meeting with Jewish congressional members – has not been finalized. He is set to stop in Brussels on his way back for meetings with key European leaders.
Obama is scheduled to be in Indonesia when Netanyahu arrives, though the two were – prior to the recent events – expected to meet a few weeks later at Obama’s nuclear security conference, which is to be attended by some 40 world leaders, including Netanyahu.
Netanyahu spoke by phone with Biden on Tuesday evening, but no details of that conversation were provided either by Israel or the US.
One of the members of Netanyahu’s inner cabinet, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, made it clear on Wednesday that he felt demands on Israel to stop building in east Jerusalem were “unreasonable.”
Lieberman said the international community sees this as an opportunity to “pile on” Israel, pressure Israel and “make unreasonable demands.”
“The demand to forbid Jews to buy or build in east Jerusalem is simply unreasonable,” he said, adding that a similar Israeli policy to forbid Arabs from buying or building in west Jerusalem would be characterized as apartheid.
Lieberman’s comments came after a meeting with the EU’s visiting foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.
Ashton, who sharply criticized an Interior Ministry committee’s approval last week of plans to build 1,600 housing units in the Ramat Shlomo neighborhood, did not add to her comments on Wednesday, saying the EU’s position on the matter was known.
But President Shimon Peres alluded to a possible middle ground between Israel’s position on Jerusalem and the growing demands, now backed by Washington, to stop all Jewish building in the city over the Green Line.
Speaking to a group of high school students in Holon, Peres said that previous governments built in new Jewish neighborhoods beyond the Green Line, but avoided construction in Arab neighborhoods, hinting that this might be a formula that the US would accept.
Peres said that Israel and the Palestinians agreed on this formula in the past. He also said that he is speaking with both Netanyahu and American officials about the issue.
“Everyone is interested in reaching an understanding,” he said.
Before meeting with Lieberman, Ashton – who arrived on Wednesday for a one-day visit that will also take her to Gaza on Thursday morning – went to Ramallah for talks with PA President Mahmoud Abbas. There, PA chief negotiator Saeb Erekat told AFP, Abbas gave her a letter demanding that the EU intervene to pressure Israel to stop all settlement activity anywhere, including in east Jerusalem.
According to Erekat, the letter included maps and other documents about settlement construction carried out since September 2009.
The government does not consider any part of Jerusalem a “settlement.”
Lieberman, during his press conference with Ashton, said the two of them also discussed Iran, an issue that has been largely pushed off the agenda over the past week because of the Ramat Shlomo flap.
“Regarding the Iranian issue, it is a crucial time,” Lieberman said, adding that the Iranian policy of playing for time should not be accepted.
“It is time for tough decisions in the Security Council and in Europe,” he said. “It is time for a new Churchill policy, not a Chamberlain policy – and that is our expectation.”
Ashton said that while the EU preferred dialogue with Iran as the “best way to solve the problem,” if that proved fruitless then she advocated going forward in the UN Security Council.
She said that she has been in contact with both the permanent and temporary members of the 15-member council, and is currently waiting for a date when that body will take up the issue.
diambil dari (http://www.jpost.com/)
Kata-kata dalam Al-Qur’an, dengan sejumlah pengulangannya merupakan Mukjizat, jumlah kata-kata dalam Al-Qur’an yang menegaskan kata-kata yang lain ternyata jumlahnya sama dengan jumlah kata-kata Al-Qur’an yang menjadi lawan kata atau kebalikan dari kata-kata tersebut, atau diantara keduanya ada nisbah kontradiktif.
Al-Qur’an tidak hanya terbatas pada ayat-ayat mulianya, makna-maknanya, prinsip-prinsip dan dasar-dasar keadilannya serta pengetahuan-pengetahuan gaibnya saja, melainkan juga termasuk jumlah-jumlah yang ada dalam Al-Qur’an itu sendiri, begitu juga pengulangan kata dan hurufnya, orang-orang yang melakukan ‘ulum’ Al-Qur’an sejak dulu sudah menyadarai adanya fenomena tersebut mempunyai maksud dan tujuan tertentu.
Para peneliti terdahulu sudah mencatat, bahwa surat-surat yang dibuka dengan huruf-huruf ‘muqaththa’ah’ berjumlah 29 surat, sementara jumlah huruf ‘hijaiyah’ Arab ditambah dengan huruf “Hamzah” juga berjumlah 29 huruf hal ini dengan sudut pandang bahwa Al-Qur’an diturunkan dalam bahasa Arab.
DR. Abdul Razaq Naufal dalam bukunya berjudul ‘ Al’Ijaz Al’Adadiy Fi Al-Qur’an Al Karim” beliau menulis beberapa tema-tema tersebut terjadi keharmonisan diantara jumlah kata-kata Al-Qur’an dan berikut ini adalah sejumlah perhitungan yang benar-benar merupakan Mukjizat, dari jumlah kata dalam Al-Qur’an sebanyak 51.900, Jumlah Juz 30, Jumlah Surat 112, keanehan yang ada diantaranya sbb :
Kata ‘Iblis” ( La’nat ALLAH ‘alaihi ) dalam Al-Qur’an disebutkan sebanyak 11 kali, sementara “Isti’adzah” juga disebutkan 11 kali, Kata “ma’siyah” dan derivatnya disebutkan sebanyak 75 kali, sementara kata “Syukr” dan derivatnya juga disebutkan sebanyak 75 kali.
Kata “al-dunya” disebutkan sebanyak 115 kali, begitu juga kata “al-akhirah” sebanyak 115 kali.
Kata “Al-israf” disebutkan 23 kali, kata kebalikannya “al-sur’ah” sebanyak 23 kali.
Kata “Malaikat” disebutkan 88 kali, kata kebalikannya ‘Al-syayathin” juga 88 kali.
Kata “Al-sulthan disebutkan 37 kali, kata kebalikannya “Al-nifaq” juga 37 kali.
Kata “Al-harb”(panas) sebanyak 4 kali, kebalikannya “ Al-harb” juga 4 kali.
Kata “ Al-harb (perang) sebanyak 6 kali, kebalikannya “Al-husra” (tawanan) 6 kali.
Kata “Al-hayat” (hidup” sebanyak 145 kali, kebalikannya “Al-maut” (mati) 145 kali.
Kata “Qalu” (mereka mengatakan) sebanyak 332 kali, kebalikannya “Qul” ( katakanlah) sebanyak 332 kali.
Kata “Al-sayyiat” yang menjadi kebalikan kata “Al-shahihat” masing-masing 180 kali.
Kata “Al-rahbah” yang menjadi kebalikan kata “Al-ragbah” masing-masing 8 kali.
Kata “Al-naf’u” yang menjadi kebalikan kata “Al-fasad” masing-masing 50 kali.
Kata “Al-nas” yang menjadi kebalikan kata “Al-rusul” masing-masing 368 kali.
Kata “Al-asbath” yang menjadi kebalikan kata “Al-awariyun” masing-masing 5 kali
Kata “Al-jahr” yang menjadi kebalikan kata “Al-alaniyyah” masing-masing 16 kali
Kata “Al-jaza” 117 kali ( sama dg kebalikannya),
Kata “Al-magfiroh” 234 kali ( sama dengan kebalikannya),
Kata “Ad-dhalala” ( kesesatan) 191 kali ( sama dengan kebalikannya),
Kata “Al-ayat” 2 kali “Ad-dhalala” yaitu 282 kali. Dan masih banyak lagi yang tidak dapat disebutkan satu persatu disini.
Kata “Yaum” (hari) dalam bentuk tunggal disebutkan sebanyak 365 kali, sebanyak jumlah hari pada tahun Syamsyiyyah.
Kata “Syahr” ( bulan) sebanyak 12 kali, sama dg jumlah Bulan dalam satu Tahun.
Kata “Yaum” (hari) dalam bentuk plural (jamak) sebanyak 30 kali, sama dengan jumlah hari dalam satu Bulan.
Kata “Sab’u” (minggu) disebutkan 7 kali, sama dengan jumlah hari dalam satu minggu.
Jumlah “ saah” (jam) yang didahului dengan ‘harf’ sebanyak 24 kali, sama dengan jumlah jam dalam satu hari.
Kata “Sujud” disebutkan 34 kali, sama dengan jumlah raka’at dalam solat 5 waktu
Kata “Shalawat” disebutkan 5 kali, sama dengan jumlah solat wajib sehari semalam.
Kata “Aqimu” yang diikuti kata “Shalat” sebanyak 17 kali, sama dengan jumlah Raka’at Sholat fardhu/ wajib.
Freemasonry adalah organisasi Yahudi Internasional, sekaligus merupakan gerakan rahasia paling besar dan palling berpengaruh di seluruh dunia. Freemasonry terdiri dari dua kata yang di satukan. Free artinya bebas atau merdeka, sedangkan Mason adalah juru bangun atau pembangun.
Tujuan akhir dari gerakan Freemason ini adalah membangun kembali cita-cita khayalan mereka, yakni mendirikan Haikal Sulaiman atau Solomon Temple.
Tentang Haikal Sulaiman atau Solomon Temple ini sendiri banyak sumber yang mendefinisikan berlainan. Salah satu tafsir yang paling populer adalah, bahwa Haikal Sulaiman berada di tanah yang kini di atasnya berdiri Masjidil Aqsha.
Mereka meyakini, tahun 1012 Sebelum Masehi (SM), Nabi Sulaiman membangun Haikal di atas Gunung Soraya di wilayah Palestina. Tapi pada tahun 586 SM, Raja Nebukhadnezar dari Babilonia menghancurkan Haikal Sulaiman ini. Tahun 533 SM, bangunan ini didirikan kembali oleh seorang bernama Zulbabil yang telah bebas dari tawanan Babilonia. Atas kebebasannya itulah, ia membangun kembali Haikal Sulaiman.
Pada tahun ke 70 M, seorang penguasa Romawi menaklukkan Palestina dan membakar serta menghancurkan Haikal Sulaiman ini. Kerusakan terus-menerus dialami setelah penyerbuan Bangsa Hadriyan. Begitu pula saat kekuasaan Muslim, konon Haikal Sulaiman di hancurkan dan sebagai gantinya didirikan Masjidil Aqsha pada abad ke-7.
Tapi tafsir lain tentang hal ini juga mengartikan Haikal Sulaiman juga sebagai wilayah kekuasan yang luas membentang. Bahkan ada yang menariknya hingga sampai wilayah Khaibar, saat kaum Yahudi diusir di zaman Rasulullah Muhammad. Karena itu, mereka meyakini harus menguasai seluruh dunia, bahkan hingga tanah Khaibar, tempat mereka terusir dahulu karena penghianatanya pada Rasulullah dan piagam Madinah.
Dan untuk itulah mereka bekerja dan membangun, yaitu untuk merebut Haikal Sulaiman dan mendirikan kekuasannya secara nyata, serta mempengaruhi pemerintahan dan kekuasan yang mampu mereka pengaruhi. Dan untuk menebar kekuasaan itu, salah satu rintangan besar yang dihadapi oleh gerakan ini adalah agama-agama, terutama agama Samawi atau agama-agama wahyu, Kristen dan Islam.
Sebelum kaum muslimin sadar tentang bahaya gerakan Freemason, perlawanan terhadap organisasi ini terlebih dulu dilakukan oleh kalangan pemimpin gereja. Perlawanan gereja Katholik ini terjadi karena Freemason telah menjadi organisasi tempat berkumpulnya kaum anti-agama. Dalam sebuah artikel berjudul The Earlier Period Of Freemasonry yang di Mimar Sinan, turki, Freemason disebut sebagai tempat berkumpul para anggota Mason yang mencari kebenaran di luar gereja. Dan ini menjadikan awal abad-18 sebagai tahun-tahun yang penuh pertarungan antara gereja Katholik dengan Freemason di Eropa. Sejak awal berdirinya, Fremason telah menyokong kebebasan beragama, sama persis dengan yang terjadi belakangan ini di berbagai negara, liberalisasi keagamaan.
Freemason berdiri di Inggris secara resmi pada tahun 1717. Tapi tampaknya, sebelum tahun itu pun, Freemasonry telah eksis. Bahkan sejak abad sebelumnya. Tahun 1641, seorang keluarga kerajaan Inggris, Robert Moray tercatat sebagai anggota cabang Freemason di Edinburg, tepatnya 20 Mei 1641. nama lain yang juga tercatat sebagai anggota Freemason sebelum tahun 1717 adalah Elias Ashmole tercatat sebagai anggota Freemasonry di Lanchasire pada 16 Oktober 1646. Dan ia juga salah seorang dari royal family atau keluarga kerajaan.
Dari catatan di atas, sebetulnya bisa ditarik kesimpulan bahwa tahun 1717 hanya tahun pemantapan saja dari tahap-tahap yang telah dilakukan oleh gerakan Freemson. Tahun ini dijadikan sebagai tahun ekspansi untuk melakukan dan menancapkan pengaruh mereka di seluruh dunia.
Tahun 1717 ini dijadikan sebagai tonggak bagi Freemason unuk memulai perangnya yang akan sangat panjang kepada umat beragama dan kepada agama itu sendiri. Seorang kepala gereja protestan di London yang bernama Anderson dan berdarah Yahudi menjadi motor penggeraknya pada 24 Juni 1717. Pada momentum inilah Freemason mendirikan Grand Lodge of England dengan menggabungkan empat lodge menjadi satu.
Banyak sumber Freemason menjelaskan bahwa sejarah berdirinya gerakan ini berakar jauh dan bisa dilacak hingga ke masa Ordo Knight of Templar saat perang Salib di Yerusalem, Palestina. Saat Paus Urbanus II, tahun 1095, usai Konsili Clermont menyerukan Perang Suci atau Crusade dan memobilisasi kaum Kristiani di seluruh Eropa untuk turut berperang merebut Yerusalem kembali dari kekuasaan Muslim. Paus Urbanus II membakar emosi massa dengan cara mengabarkan kabar bohong. Ia mengatakan umat Kristen di Palestina telah dibunuh, dibantai dan dibakar di dalam gereja-gereja oleh pasukan Turki Seljuk yang Muslim. Ia juga membakar kemarahan kaum Kristiani dengan mengatakan bahwa kaum kafir (Muslim Turki, pen.) telah dan sedang menguasai makam Yesus Kristus.
Paus UrbanusII menyerukan agar seluruh pertikaian yang terjadi selama ini antar pemeluk dan kesatrian Kristen harus diakhiri, karena ada musuh yang lebih berbahaya dan harus segera dihancurakan: Islam dan kaum Muslimin. Ia juga mengiming-iming dengan bujukan surgawi, bahwa siapa yang berangkat ke medan perang kan dibebaskan dari seluruh dosa dan di jamin akan mendapat surga. Hasilnya, ribuan kaum Kristiani berangkat menuju Palestina dengan kemarahan. Dan setibanya di sana, terjadi pembantaian besar-besaran atas penduduk Yerussalem dan Palestina.
Selama dua hari penyerbuan terjadi pembantaian yang tak bisa diterima akal sehat dan rasa kemanusiaan. Sebanyak 40.000 penduduk Palestina terbantai. Beberapa sejarawan menggambarkan, saat itu darah menggenangi tanah Yerusalem. Ada yang menyebut darah menggenang setinggi mata kaki, bahkan ada yang menggambarkan darah menggenang hingga lutut manusia dewasa. Tentara berperang dengan motivasi mendapatkan emas dan permata, dan juga banyak para kesatria Prancis tercatat membelah perut korban-korban mereka. Merka mencari emas atau permata yang kemungkinan di telan penduduk Palestina sebagai upaya penyelamatan harta.
Setelah mereka menguasai tanah Palestina, pasukan Salib yang terdiri dari banyak unsur mulai mendirikan kelompoknya masing-masing. Mereka tergabung dalam ordo-ordo tertentu. Para anggota ordo ini datang dari seluruh tanah Eropa, yang ditampung di biara-biara tertentu dan berlatih cara-cara militer di dalam biara tersebut. Dan satu dari sekian ordo yang sangat mencuat namanya adalah Ordo Knight of Templar.
Knight of Templar juga disebut sebagai tentara miskin Pengikut Yesus Kristus dan Kuil Sulaiman. Disebut miskin karena tergambar dari logo yang mereka gunakan, seperti dua tentara yang menunggang seekor keledai. Untuk menunjukkan bahwa mereka miskin, sampai-sampai satu keledai harus dinaiki dua orang tentara Knight of Templar. Bahkan tercatat, mereka dipaksa untuk makan tiga kali saja dalam semingu. Sedangkan nama Kuil Sulaiman mereka pakai karena mereka menjadikan markas mereka yang dipercayai sebagai situs runtuhnya Kuil Sulaiman atau Solomon Temple. Tapi sesungguhnya, pemilihan markas di bukit ini bukan sebuah kebetulan yang bersifat geografis semata, karena para pendiri ordo Knight of Templar sesunguhnya punya cirta-cita sendiri untuk mengembalikan kejayaan dan berdirinya Kuil Sulaiman sebagai tempat suci kaum Yahudi atau tempatnya kaum Mason. Sepanjang bisa terlacak, pendiri ordo ini adalah dua kesatria Prancis, yaitu Hugh de Pavens dan God frey de St Omer. Spekulasi dari kalangan sejarawan mengatakan, bahwa ada darah-darah Yahudi yang mengalir dalam tubuh dan cita-cita para pendiri Ordo Knigh of Templar. Para perwira tinggi Kristen tersebut, sesungguhnya proses convertion yang mereka lakukan hanyalah cara untuk menyelamatkan diri, dan sesungguhnya mereka masih berpegang teguh pada doktrin-doktrin Yahudi, terutama Kabbalah.
Meski mereka menamakan diri sebagai tentara miskin, sesunguhnya mereka tidak miskin sama sekali. Atau setidaknya, masa miskin itu hanya mereka rasakan di awal-awal berdirinya Knight of Templars. Dalam waktu yang singkat mereka mampu menjadi sangat kaya raya dengan jalan melakukan kontrol penuh terhadap peziarah Eropa yang datang ke Palestiana. Salah satunya adalah dengan cara merekrut anak-anak muda putra para bangsawan Eropa yang tentu saja akan melengkapi anak mereka dengan perbekalan dana yang seolah tak pernah kering jumlahnya. Mereka juga disebut sebagai perintis sistem perbankan pertama pada abad pertengahan.
Saat itu banyak orang-orang Eropa yang ingin pindah atau setidaknya berziarah ke Palestina. Dan tentu saja perjalanan yang jauh dari Eropa memerlukan bekal yang tidak sedikit. Ada yang membawa seluruh harta mereka dalam perjalanan, tapi karena tentara Salib disepanjang perjalanan hidup dalam kondisi ayng sangat mengenaskan dan mereka sangat tergiur oleh harta kekayaan, tidak jarang terjadi perampokan bahkan saling bunuh antar orang Kristen disepanjang perjalanan menuju Palestian. Lalu ditemukan cara, para peziarah tidak perlu membawa harta mereka dalam perjalanan. Mereka hanya perlu menitipkannya pada sebuah perwakilan Templar di Eropa, mencatat dan menghitung nilainya dan mereka berangkat ke Palestina berbekal catatan nilai harta yang nantinya akan ditukarkan dengan nilai uang yang sama di Palestina. Gerakan ini banyak didominasi oleh Ordo Knight of Templar yang membuat mereka sangat kaya raya karena mendapat keuntungan dari sistem bunga yang mereka kembangkan. Dan inilah embrio atau cikal bakal perbankan yang kita keanl sekarang.
Markas Knight of Templar di Prancis menjadi rumah penghimpunan harta terbesar di Eropa. Lambat laun mereka menjadi bankir bagi para Paus dan Raja. Bagaimana tidak cepat kaya, setiap tahunyya King Henry II of England mendonasikan uang untuk menanggung biaya hidup 15.000 tentara Knight of Templar dan juga Knight Hospitaler selama mereka berperang dalam Perang Salib di tahun 1170. Untuk menggambarkan betapa besarnya institusi perbankan yang dijalankan Templar, pada saat itu organisasi ini memiliki 7.000 pegawai lebih hanya untuk mengurusi masalah keuangan. Mereka juga memiliki tak kurang dari 870 istana, kastil, dan rumah-rumah para bangsawan yang terbentang dari London hingga Yerusalem.
Karena ordo ini sangat berkuasa, lambat laun mereka mulai menampakkan ciri aslinya, yakni sebagai penganut Mason. Mereka mengembangkan doktrin dan ajaran mistik, juga kekuatan sihir di biara-biara mereka. Mereka memuja setan dan mendatangkan roh-roh untuk berkomunikasi. Apa yang mereka praktikkan ini disebut sebagai Kabbalah, sebuah tradisi mistik Yahudi kuno yang telah berkembang bahkan sejak zaman sebelum Fir’aun.
Mengetahui hal ini, Raja Prancis Philip le Bel, pada tahun 1307 mengeluarkan seruan untuk menangkap dan membubarkan ordo Knight of Templar karena dituduh telah melakukan bid’ah. Dalam perkembangannya, Paus Clement V turut bergabung untuk memerangi kaum Mason ini dengan mengeluarkan kembali vonis inquisisi. Terjadi banyak penangkapan dan interogasi, dan beberapa pimpinan Ordo Knight of Templar yang bergelar Grand Master (penyebutan ini masih dipakai sebagai tingkat tertinggi dalam gerakan Freemasonry sampai sekarang, pen) ikut menjadi korban. Dari beberapa penangkapan dan interograsi didapatkan keterangan bahwa anggota-anggota Templar telah melakukan kejahatan seksual terhadap beberapa perempuan bangsawan, melakukan sodomi, menyembah kucing, memakan daging teman-teman mereka sendiri yang sudah mati. Bahkan salah seorang saksi mata mengatakan, para Templar memperkosa perawan-perawan hingga hamil dan bayinya dibunuh dengan cara yang sadis untuk kemudian di bakar dan diambil minyaknya, dijadikan minyak suci untuk persembahan para pemimpin mereka.
Pada tahun 1307, Raja Philip IV memerintahkan penangkapan Jacques de Molay. Dan setelah melalui penyiksaan demi penyiksaan, de Molay mengakui segala ritual bid’ah yang dilakukan oleh Ordo Templar. Pada tahun 1312, Ordo Knight of Templar dilarang dan dibubarkan. Dan atas perintah Gereja dan Raja , dua tahun kemudian, yaitu pada tahun 1314, para pimpinan Templar dihukum mati, termasuk Jacques de Molay, salah satu Grand Master terpenting Ordo Templar. Jacques de Molay sendiri divonis sebagai heretic (bid’ah) atau kafir dan dihukum dengan cara dibakar hidup-hidup di depan raja Philip IV. Dan sebelum menghembuskan napasnya, de Molay mengeluarkan kata-kata bahwa Raja Philip dan Paus Clement harus mengikutinya, mati, dalam waktu satu tahun. Dan sejarah mencatat, Raja Philip IV meninggal tujuh bulan kemudian, disusul Paus Clement sebulan setelah Raja Philip mangkat.
Setelah itu terjadi pemusnahan besar-besaran, sekali lagi atas kaum Yahudi, dan kali ini bermula dengan kasus Knight of Templar atau kaum Mason. Pemusnahan ini tak hanya terjadi di Palestina, tapi juga terjadi di Eropa. Mereka diburu untuk ditangkap dan dibunuh. Sampai akhirnya mereka berhasil melarikan diri dan mendapat perlindungan dari Raja Skotlandia, Robert The Bruce yang dilantik dan menduduki singgasana Raja pada tahun 1306. Dan di tanah baru ini pula mereka menyusun kekuatan kembali. Dan Skotlandia menjadi salah satu yang menentukan dalam perkembangan gerakan Freemason.
Versi yang lebih tua dari sejarah Freemason adalah kisah yang menyebutkan pembentukan Freemasonry pada zaman Raja Israel, Herodes Agripa I yang meninggal pada tahun 44 Masehi. Freemason pada zaman ini dibentuk untuk membendung ajaran agama yang disampaikan oleh Nabi Isa as. Konon waktu itu namanya The Secret Power atau kekutan yang Tersembunyi.
Tujuan utamanya adalah memusuhi pengikut Nabi Isa, menculik mereka, membunuh, melarang penyebaran agama baru tersebut, termasuk membunuhi baya-bayi Kristen. Tapi, berkenaan dengan segala kesadisan yang dilakukan Herodes ini, para sejarawan dunia, meyakini bahwa hal tersebut hanyalah mitos belaka dalam tradisi agama Kristen. Herodes Agripa I menjalankan segala misi The Secret Power ini dibantu dua pengikut setianya, Heram Abioud sebagai Wakil Presiden gerakan dan Moab Leumi sebagai pemegang rahasia utama gerakan ini. Tapi beberapa anggota Freemason juaga mempercayai dan menarik sejauh mungkin sejarah mereka ke masa lalu, bahkan hingga ke zaman Fir’aun. Itu pula yang menjadi salah satu penjelasan mengapa mereka kerap kali menggunakan simbol-simbol Mesir Kuno dalam tradisi dan aktivitas ritual mereka, seperti penggunaan Dewa Horus, Piramida, Matahari dan berbagai simbol Mesir lainnya. Penggunaan ini bermula dari penggalian Kuil Sulaiman oleh para Templa dan penemuan doktrin dan ajaran Kabbalah yang terus-menerus mereka eksplorasi dan diajarkan dari mulut ke mulut. Penggalian ini begitu serius mereka lakukan sehingga kelak akan mempengaruhi cara pandang kaum Templar dan juga rencana mereka pada kehidupan dunia.
Bahkan yang cukup mengejutkan adalah, dalam manuskrip-manuskrip kuno Mason dikatakan, orang pertama Mason adalah Adam! Kejadian itu berawal ketika Adam dan Hawa memakan daun dari pohon terlarang di taman surga. Daun yang disebut sebagia daun pengetahuan, dan karena itu pula Tuhan mereka melarang mereka memakannya. Dr.Albert Mackei, seorang anggota Mason dengan tingkatan 33 derajat dalam Encyclopedia of Freemasonry manuliskan, daun pengetahuan itu kelak diturunkan pada dua anak Adam dan Hawa, Seth dan Nimrod dengan kisah The Tower of Babel. Kedua anak ini pula menyusun bahasa untuk ilmu pengetahuan yang akan diturunkan kepada manusia-manusia berikutnya. Tapi, dalam perkamen-perkamen tua itu disebutkan bahwa, Tuhan dengan sengaja mengacaukan bahasa manusia yang mengakibatkan rahasia ilmu pengetahuan, yang diturunkan Adam dengan memakan daun dari pohon terlarang, hilang dan tak diketahui manusia-manusia setelah Seth dan Nimrod. Dan itu pula yang menjadi alasan kedua kaum ini memerangi Tuhan.
Bahkan menurut Talmud, setan-setan adalah keturunan dari Adam dan Hawa. Setelah Adam diusir dari surga, ia enggan mencampuri istrinya, Hawa. Dan pada saat itulah, dua setan perempuan mendatanggi Adam yang langsung digauli keduanya oleh Adam. Dalam Talmud disebutkan, Adam menggauli setan perempuan bernama Lelet selama lebih dari 130 tahun lamanya dan melahirkan banyak anak-anak setan begitu pula dengan Hawa selama ditinggal oleh Adam, Hawa juga digauli oleh setan laki-laki dan melahirkan banyak anak setan.
Tujuan akhir dari gerakan Freemason ini adalah membangun kembali cita-cita khayalan mereka, yakni mendirikan Haikal Sulaiman atau Solomon Temple.
Tentang Haikal Sulaiman atau Solomon Temple ini sendiri banyak sumber yang mendefinisikan berlainan. Salah satu tafsir yang paling populer adalah, bahwa Haikal Sulaiman berada di tanah yang kini di atasnya berdiri Masjidil Aqsha.
Mereka meyakini, tahun 1012 Sebelum Masehi (SM), Nabi Sulaiman membangun Haikal di atas Gunung Soraya di wilayah Palestina. Tapi pada tahun 586 SM, Raja Nebukhadnezar dari Babilonia menghancurkan Haikal Sulaiman ini. Tahun 533 SM, bangunan ini didirikan kembali oleh seorang bernama Zulbabil yang telah bebas dari tawanan Babilonia. Atas kebebasannya itulah, ia membangun kembali Haikal Sulaiman.
Pada tahun ke 70 M, seorang penguasa Romawi menaklukkan Palestina dan membakar serta menghancurkan Haikal Sulaiman ini. Kerusakan terus-menerus dialami setelah penyerbuan Bangsa Hadriyan. Begitu pula saat kekuasaan Muslim, konon Haikal Sulaiman di hancurkan dan sebagai gantinya didirikan Masjidil Aqsha pada abad ke-7.
Tapi tafsir lain tentang hal ini juga mengartikan Haikal Sulaiman juga sebagai wilayah kekuasan yang luas membentang. Bahkan ada yang menariknya hingga sampai wilayah Khaibar, saat kaum Yahudi diusir di zaman Rasulullah Muhammad. Karena itu, mereka meyakini harus menguasai seluruh dunia, bahkan hingga tanah Khaibar, tempat mereka terusir dahulu karena penghianatanya pada Rasulullah dan piagam Madinah.
Dan untuk itulah mereka bekerja dan membangun, yaitu untuk merebut Haikal Sulaiman dan mendirikan kekuasannya secara nyata, serta mempengaruhi pemerintahan dan kekuasan yang mampu mereka pengaruhi. Dan untuk menebar kekuasaan itu, salah satu rintangan besar yang dihadapi oleh gerakan ini adalah agama-agama, terutama agama Samawi atau agama-agama wahyu, Kristen dan Islam.
Sebelum kaum muslimin sadar tentang bahaya gerakan Freemason, perlawanan terhadap organisasi ini terlebih dulu dilakukan oleh kalangan pemimpin gereja. Perlawanan gereja Katholik ini terjadi karena Freemason telah menjadi organisasi tempat berkumpulnya kaum anti-agama. Dalam sebuah artikel berjudul The Earlier Period Of Freemasonry yang di Mimar Sinan, turki, Freemason disebut sebagai tempat berkumpul para anggota Mason yang mencari kebenaran di luar gereja. Dan ini menjadikan awal abad-18 sebagai tahun-tahun yang penuh pertarungan antara gereja Katholik dengan Freemason di Eropa. Sejak awal berdirinya, Fremason telah menyokong kebebasan beragama, sama persis dengan yang terjadi belakangan ini di berbagai negara, liberalisasi keagamaan.
Freemason berdiri di Inggris secara resmi pada tahun 1717. Tapi tampaknya, sebelum tahun itu pun, Freemasonry telah eksis. Bahkan sejak abad sebelumnya. Tahun 1641, seorang keluarga kerajaan Inggris, Robert Moray tercatat sebagai anggota cabang Freemason di Edinburg, tepatnya 20 Mei 1641. nama lain yang juga tercatat sebagai anggota Freemason sebelum tahun 1717 adalah Elias Ashmole tercatat sebagai anggota Freemasonry di Lanchasire pada 16 Oktober 1646. Dan ia juga salah seorang dari royal family atau keluarga kerajaan.
Dari catatan di atas, sebetulnya bisa ditarik kesimpulan bahwa tahun 1717 hanya tahun pemantapan saja dari tahap-tahap yang telah dilakukan oleh gerakan Freemson. Tahun ini dijadikan sebagai tahun ekspansi untuk melakukan dan menancapkan pengaruh mereka di seluruh dunia.
Tahun 1717 ini dijadikan sebagai tonggak bagi Freemason unuk memulai perangnya yang akan sangat panjang kepada umat beragama dan kepada agama itu sendiri. Seorang kepala gereja protestan di London yang bernama Anderson dan berdarah Yahudi menjadi motor penggeraknya pada 24 Juni 1717. Pada momentum inilah Freemason mendirikan Grand Lodge of England dengan menggabungkan empat lodge menjadi satu.
Banyak sumber Freemason menjelaskan bahwa sejarah berdirinya gerakan ini berakar jauh dan bisa dilacak hingga ke masa Ordo Knight of Templar saat perang Salib di Yerusalem, Palestina. Saat Paus Urbanus II, tahun 1095, usai Konsili Clermont menyerukan Perang Suci atau Crusade dan memobilisasi kaum Kristiani di seluruh Eropa untuk turut berperang merebut Yerusalem kembali dari kekuasaan Muslim. Paus Urbanus II membakar emosi massa dengan cara mengabarkan kabar bohong. Ia mengatakan umat Kristen di Palestina telah dibunuh, dibantai dan dibakar di dalam gereja-gereja oleh pasukan Turki Seljuk yang Muslim. Ia juga membakar kemarahan kaum Kristiani dengan mengatakan bahwa kaum kafir (Muslim Turki, pen.) telah dan sedang menguasai makam Yesus Kristus.
Paus UrbanusII menyerukan agar seluruh pertikaian yang terjadi selama ini antar pemeluk dan kesatrian Kristen harus diakhiri, karena ada musuh yang lebih berbahaya dan harus segera dihancurakan: Islam dan kaum Muslimin. Ia juga mengiming-iming dengan bujukan surgawi, bahwa siapa yang berangkat ke medan perang kan dibebaskan dari seluruh dosa dan di jamin akan mendapat surga. Hasilnya, ribuan kaum Kristiani berangkat menuju Palestina dengan kemarahan. Dan setibanya di sana, terjadi pembantaian besar-besaran atas penduduk Yerussalem dan Palestina.
Selama dua hari penyerbuan terjadi pembantaian yang tak bisa diterima akal sehat dan rasa kemanusiaan. Sebanyak 40.000 penduduk Palestina terbantai. Beberapa sejarawan menggambarkan, saat itu darah menggenangi tanah Yerusalem. Ada yang menyebut darah menggenang setinggi mata kaki, bahkan ada yang menggambarkan darah menggenang hingga lutut manusia dewasa. Tentara berperang dengan motivasi mendapatkan emas dan permata, dan juga banyak para kesatria Prancis tercatat membelah perut korban-korban mereka. Merka mencari emas atau permata yang kemungkinan di telan penduduk Palestina sebagai upaya penyelamatan harta.
Setelah mereka menguasai tanah Palestina, pasukan Salib yang terdiri dari banyak unsur mulai mendirikan kelompoknya masing-masing. Mereka tergabung dalam ordo-ordo tertentu. Para anggota ordo ini datang dari seluruh tanah Eropa, yang ditampung di biara-biara tertentu dan berlatih cara-cara militer di dalam biara tersebut. Dan satu dari sekian ordo yang sangat mencuat namanya adalah Ordo Knight of Templar.
Knight of Templar juga disebut sebagai tentara miskin Pengikut Yesus Kristus dan Kuil Sulaiman. Disebut miskin karena tergambar dari logo yang mereka gunakan, seperti dua tentara yang menunggang seekor keledai. Untuk menunjukkan bahwa mereka miskin, sampai-sampai satu keledai harus dinaiki dua orang tentara Knight of Templar. Bahkan tercatat, mereka dipaksa untuk makan tiga kali saja dalam semingu. Sedangkan nama Kuil Sulaiman mereka pakai karena mereka menjadikan markas mereka yang dipercayai sebagai situs runtuhnya Kuil Sulaiman atau Solomon Temple. Tapi sesungguhnya, pemilihan markas di bukit ini bukan sebuah kebetulan yang bersifat geografis semata, karena para pendiri ordo Knight of Templar sesunguhnya punya cirta-cita sendiri untuk mengembalikan kejayaan dan berdirinya Kuil Sulaiman sebagai tempat suci kaum Yahudi atau tempatnya kaum Mason. Sepanjang bisa terlacak, pendiri ordo ini adalah dua kesatria Prancis, yaitu Hugh de Pavens dan God frey de St Omer. Spekulasi dari kalangan sejarawan mengatakan, bahwa ada darah-darah Yahudi yang mengalir dalam tubuh dan cita-cita para pendiri Ordo Knigh of Templar. Para perwira tinggi Kristen tersebut, sesungguhnya proses convertion yang mereka lakukan hanyalah cara untuk menyelamatkan diri, dan sesungguhnya mereka masih berpegang teguh pada doktrin-doktrin Yahudi, terutama Kabbalah.
Meski mereka menamakan diri sebagai tentara miskin, sesunguhnya mereka tidak miskin sama sekali. Atau setidaknya, masa miskin itu hanya mereka rasakan di awal-awal berdirinya Knight of Templars. Dalam waktu yang singkat mereka mampu menjadi sangat kaya raya dengan jalan melakukan kontrol penuh terhadap peziarah Eropa yang datang ke Palestiana. Salah satunya adalah dengan cara merekrut anak-anak muda putra para bangsawan Eropa yang tentu saja akan melengkapi anak mereka dengan perbekalan dana yang seolah tak pernah kering jumlahnya. Mereka juga disebut sebagai perintis sistem perbankan pertama pada abad pertengahan.
Saat itu banyak orang-orang Eropa yang ingin pindah atau setidaknya berziarah ke Palestina. Dan tentu saja perjalanan yang jauh dari Eropa memerlukan bekal yang tidak sedikit. Ada yang membawa seluruh harta mereka dalam perjalanan, tapi karena tentara Salib disepanjang perjalanan hidup dalam kondisi ayng sangat mengenaskan dan mereka sangat tergiur oleh harta kekayaan, tidak jarang terjadi perampokan bahkan saling bunuh antar orang Kristen disepanjang perjalanan menuju Palestian. Lalu ditemukan cara, para peziarah tidak perlu membawa harta mereka dalam perjalanan. Mereka hanya perlu menitipkannya pada sebuah perwakilan Templar di Eropa, mencatat dan menghitung nilainya dan mereka berangkat ke Palestina berbekal catatan nilai harta yang nantinya akan ditukarkan dengan nilai uang yang sama di Palestina. Gerakan ini banyak didominasi oleh Ordo Knight of Templar yang membuat mereka sangat kaya raya karena mendapat keuntungan dari sistem bunga yang mereka kembangkan. Dan inilah embrio atau cikal bakal perbankan yang kita keanl sekarang.
Markas Knight of Templar di Prancis menjadi rumah penghimpunan harta terbesar di Eropa. Lambat laun mereka menjadi bankir bagi para Paus dan Raja. Bagaimana tidak cepat kaya, setiap tahunyya King Henry II of England mendonasikan uang untuk menanggung biaya hidup 15.000 tentara Knight of Templar dan juga Knight Hospitaler selama mereka berperang dalam Perang Salib di tahun 1170. Untuk menggambarkan betapa besarnya institusi perbankan yang dijalankan Templar, pada saat itu organisasi ini memiliki 7.000 pegawai lebih hanya untuk mengurusi masalah keuangan. Mereka juga memiliki tak kurang dari 870 istana, kastil, dan rumah-rumah para bangsawan yang terbentang dari London hingga Yerusalem.
Karena ordo ini sangat berkuasa, lambat laun mereka mulai menampakkan ciri aslinya, yakni sebagai penganut Mason. Mereka mengembangkan doktrin dan ajaran mistik, juga kekuatan sihir di biara-biara mereka. Mereka memuja setan dan mendatangkan roh-roh untuk berkomunikasi. Apa yang mereka praktikkan ini disebut sebagai Kabbalah, sebuah tradisi mistik Yahudi kuno yang telah berkembang bahkan sejak zaman sebelum Fir’aun.
Mengetahui hal ini, Raja Prancis Philip le Bel, pada tahun 1307 mengeluarkan seruan untuk menangkap dan membubarkan ordo Knight of Templar karena dituduh telah melakukan bid’ah. Dalam perkembangannya, Paus Clement V turut bergabung untuk memerangi kaum Mason ini dengan mengeluarkan kembali vonis inquisisi. Terjadi banyak penangkapan dan interogasi, dan beberapa pimpinan Ordo Knight of Templar yang bergelar Grand Master (penyebutan ini masih dipakai sebagai tingkat tertinggi dalam gerakan Freemasonry sampai sekarang, pen) ikut menjadi korban. Dari beberapa penangkapan dan interograsi didapatkan keterangan bahwa anggota-anggota Templar telah melakukan kejahatan seksual terhadap beberapa perempuan bangsawan, melakukan sodomi, menyembah kucing, memakan daging teman-teman mereka sendiri yang sudah mati. Bahkan salah seorang saksi mata mengatakan, para Templar memperkosa perawan-perawan hingga hamil dan bayinya dibunuh dengan cara yang sadis untuk kemudian di bakar dan diambil minyaknya, dijadikan minyak suci untuk persembahan para pemimpin mereka.
Pada tahun 1307, Raja Philip IV memerintahkan penangkapan Jacques de Molay. Dan setelah melalui penyiksaan demi penyiksaan, de Molay mengakui segala ritual bid’ah yang dilakukan oleh Ordo Templar. Pada tahun 1312, Ordo Knight of Templar dilarang dan dibubarkan. Dan atas perintah Gereja dan Raja , dua tahun kemudian, yaitu pada tahun 1314, para pimpinan Templar dihukum mati, termasuk Jacques de Molay, salah satu Grand Master terpenting Ordo Templar. Jacques de Molay sendiri divonis sebagai heretic (bid’ah) atau kafir dan dihukum dengan cara dibakar hidup-hidup di depan raja Philip IV. Dan sebelum menghembuskan napasnya, de Molay mengeluarkan kata-kata bahwa Raja Philip dan Paus Clement harus mengikutinya, mati, dalam waktu satu tahun. Dan sejarah mencatat, Raja Philip IV meninggal tujuh bulan kemudian, disusul Paus Clement sebulan setelah Raja Philip mangkat.
Setelah itu terjadi pemusnahan besar-besaran, sekali lagi atas kaum Yahudi, dan kali ini bermula dengan kasus Knight of Templar atau kaum Mason. Pemusnahan ini tak hanya terjadi di Palestina, tapi juga terjadi di Eropa. Mereka diburu untuk ditangkap dan dibunuh. Sampai akhirnya mereka berhasil melarikan diri dan mendapat perlindungan dari Raja Skotlandia, Robert The Bruce yang dilantik dan menduduki singgasana Raja pada tahun 1306. Dan di tanah baru ini pula mereka menyusun kekuatan kembali. Dan Skotlandia menjadi salah satu yang menentukan dalam perkembangan gerakan Freemason.
Versi yang lebih tua dari sejarah Freemason adalah kisah yang menyebutkan pembentukan Freemasonry pada zaman Raja Israel, Herodes Agripa I yang meninggal pada tahun 44 Masehi. Freemason pada zaman ini dibentuk untuk membendung ajaran agama yang disampaikan oleh Nabi Isa as. Konon waktu itu namanya The Secret Power atau kekutan yang Tersembunyi.
Tujuan utamanya adalah memusuhi pengikut Nabi Isa, menculik mereka, membunuh, melarang penyebaran agama baru tersebut, termasuk membunuhi baya-bayi Kristen. Tapi, berkenaan dengan segala kesadisan yang dilakukan Herodes ini, para sejarawan dunia, meyakini bahwa hal tersebut hanyalah mitos belaka dalam tradisi agama Kristen. Herodes Agripa I menjalankan segala misi The Secret Power ini dibantu dua pengikut setianya, Heram Abioud sebagai Wakil Presiden gerakan dan Moab Leumi sebagai pemegang rahasia utama gerakan ini. Tapi beberapa anggota Freemason juaga mempercayai dan menarik sejauh mungkin sejarah mereka ke masa lalu, bahkan hingga ke zaman Fir’aun. Itu pula yang menjadi salah satu penjelasan mengapa mereka kerap kali menggunakan simbol-simbol Mesir Kuno dalam tradisi dan aktivitas ritual mereka, seperti penggunaan Dewa Horus, Piramida, Matahari dan berbagai simbol Mesir lainnya. Penggunaan ini bermula dari penggalian Kuil Sulaiman oleh para Templa dan penemuan doktrin dan ajaran Kabbalah yang terus-menerus mereka eksplorasi dan diajarkan dari mulut ke mulut. Penggalian ini begitu serius mereka lakukan sehingga kelak akan mempengaruhi cara pandang kaum Templar dan juga rencana mereka pada kehidupan dunia.
Bahkan yang cukup mengejutkan adalah, dalam manuskrip-manuskrip kuno Mason dikatakan, orang pertama Mason adalah Adam! Kejadian itu berawal ketika Adam dan Hawa memakan daun dari pohon terlarang di taman surga. Daun yang disebut sebagia daun pengetahuan, dan karena itu pula Tuhan mereka melarang mereka memakannya. Dr.Albert Mackei, seorang anggota Mason dengan tingkatan 33 derajat dalam Encyclopedia of Freemasonry manuliskan, daun pengetahuan itu kelak diturunkan pada dua anak Adam dan Hawa, Seth dan Nimrod dengan kisah The Tower of Babel. Kedua anak ini pula menyusun bahasa untuk ilmu pengetahuan yang akan diturunkan kepada manusia-manusia berikutnya. Tapi, dalam perkamen-perkamen tua itu disebutkan bahwa, Tuhan dengan sengaja mengacaukan bahasa manusia yang mengakibatkan rahasia ilmu pengetahuan, yang diturunkan Adam dengan memakan daun dari pohon terlarang, hilang dan tak diketahui manusia-manusia setelah Seth dan Nimrod. Dan itu pula yang menjadi alasan kedua kaum ini memerangi Tuhan.
Bahkan menurut Talmud, setan-setan adalah keturunan dari Adam dan Hawa. Setelah Adam diusir dari surga, ia enggan mencampuri istrinya, Hawa. Dan pada saat itulah, dua setan perempuan mendatanggi Adam yang langsung digauli keduanya oleh Adam. Dalam Talmud disebutkan, Adam menggauli setan perempuan bernama Lelet selama lebih dari 130 tahun lamanya dan melahirkan banyak anak-anak setan begitu pula dengan Hawa selama ditinggal oleh Adam, Hawa juga digauli oleh setan laki-laki dan melahirkan banyak anak setan.
Masih ingatkah teman-teman dengan kisah mukjizat Nabi Musa yang membelah laut merah dengan tongkatnya? Jika salah satu diantara teman-teman yang menganggap kisah tersebut hanya merupakan dongeng belaka, sekarang mari kita simak tulisan yang saya uraikan dibawah ini.
Seorang Arkeolog bernama Ron Wyatt pada ahir tahun 1988 silam mengklaim bahwa dirinya telah menemukan beberapa bangkai roda kereta tempur kuno didasar laut merah. Menurutnya, mungkin ini merupakan bangkai kereta tempur Pharaoh yang tenggelam dilautan tsb saat digunakan untuk mengejar Musa bersama para pengikutnya.
Menurut pengakuannya, selain menemukan beberapa bangkai roda kereta tempur berkuda, Wyatt bersama para krunya juga menemukan beberapa tulang manusia dan tulang kuda ditempat yang sama.
Temuan ini tentunya semakin memperkuat dugaan bahwa sisa2 tulang belulang itu merupakan bagian dari kerangka para bala tentara Pharaoh yang tenggelam di laut Merah. Apalagi dari hasil pengujian yang dilakukan di Stockhlom University terhadap beberapa sisa tulang belulang yang berhasil ditemukan,memang benar adanya bahwa struktur dan kandungan beberapa tulang telah berusia sekitar 3500 tahun silam, dimana menurut sejarah,kejadian pengejaran itu juga terjadi dalam kurun waktu yang sama.
poros roda dari salah satu kereta kuda
Selain itu, ada suatu benda menarik yang juga berhasil ditemukan, yaitu poros roda dari salah satu kereta kuda yang kini keseluruhannya telah tertutup oleh batu karang, sehingga untuk saat ini bentuk aslinya sangat sulit untuk dilihat secara jelas. Mungkin Allah sengaja melindungi benda ini untuk menunjukkan kepada kita semua bahwa mukjizat yang diturunkan kepada Nabi2-Nya merupakan suatu hal yang nyata dan bukan merupakan cerita karangan belaka. Diantara beberapa bangkai kereta tadi, ditemukan pula sebuah roda dengan 4 buah jeruji yang terbuat dari emas. Sepertinya, inilah sisa dari roda kereta kuda yang ditunggangi oleh Pharaoh sang raja.
Sekarang mari kita perhatikan gambar diatas, Pada bagian peta yang dilingkari (lingkaran merah), menurut para ahli kira-kira disitulah lokasi dimana Nabi Musa bersama para kaumnya menyebrangi laut Merah. Lokasi penyeberangan diperkirakan berada di Teluk Aqaba di Nuweiba. Kedalaman maksimum perairan di sekitar lokasi penyeberangan adalah 800 meter di sisi ke arah Mesir dan 900 meter di sisi ke arah Arab. Sementara itu di sisi utara dan selatan lintasan penyeberangan (garis merah) kedalamannya mencapai 1500 meter. Kemiringan laut dari Nuweiba ke arah Teluk Aqaba sekitar 1/14 atau 4 derajat, sementara itu dari Teluk Nuweiba ke arah daratan Arab sekitar 1/10 atau 6 derajat
Diperkirakan jarak antara Nuweiba ke Arab sekitar 1800 meter.Lebar lintasan Laut Merah yang terbelah diperkirakan 900 meter. Dapatkah kita membayangkan berapa gaya yang diperlukan untuk dapat membelah air laut hingga memiliki lebar lintasan 900 meter dengan jarak 1800 meter pada kedalaman perairan yang rata2 mencapai ratusan meter untuk waktu yang cukup lama, mengingat pengikut Nabi Musa yang menurut sejarah berjumlah ribuan? (menurut tulisan lain diperkirakan jaraknya mencapai 7 km, dengan jumlah pengikut Nabi Musa sekitar 600.000 orang dan waktu yang ditempuh untuk menyeberang sekitar 4 jam).
Menurut sebuah perhitungan, diperkirakan diperlukan tekanan (gaya per satuan luas) sebesar 2.800.000 Newton/m2 atau setara dengan tekanan yang kita terima Jika menyelam di laut hingga kedalaman 280 meter. Jika kita kaitkan dengan kecepatan angin,menurut beberapa perhitungan, setidaknya diperlukan hembusan angin dengan kecepatan konstan 30 meter/detik (108 km/jam) sepanjang malam untuk dapat membelah dan mempertahankan belahan air laut tersebut dalam jangka waktu 4 jam!!! sungguh luar biasa, Allah Maha Besar.
Seorang Arkeolog bernama Ron Wyatt pada ahir tahun 1988 silam mengklaim bahwa dirinya telah menemukan beberapa bangkai roda kereta tempur kuno didasar laut merah. Menurutnya, mungkin ini merupakan bangkai kereta tempur Pharaoh yang tenggelam dilautan tsb saat digunakan untuk mengejar Musa bersama para pengikutnya.
Menurut pengakuannya, selain menemukan beberapa bangkai roda kereta tempur berkuda, Wyatt bersama para krunya juga menemukan beberapa tulang manusia dan tulang kuda ditempat yang sama.
Temuan ini tentunya semakin memperkuat dugaan bahwa sisa2 tulang belulang itu merupakan bagian dari kerangka para bala tentara Pharaoh yang tenggelam di laut Merah. Apalagi dari hasil pengujian yang dilakukan di Stockhlom University terhadap beberapa sisa tulang belulang yang berhasil ditemukan,memang benar adanya bahwa struktur dan kandungan beberapa tulang telah berusia sekitar 3500 tahun silam, dimana menurut sejarah,kejadian pengejaran itu juga terjadi dalam kurun waktu yang sama.
poros roda dari salah satu kereta kuda
Selain itu, ada suatu benda menarik yang juga berhasil ditemukan, yaitu poros roda dari salah satu kereta kuda yang kini keseluruhannya telah tertutup oleh batu karang, sehingga untuk saat ini bentuk aslinya sangat sulit untuk dilihat secara jelas. Mungkin Allah sengaja melindungi benda ini untuk menunjukkan kepada kita semua bahwa mukjizat yang diturunkan kepada Nabi2-Nya merupakan suatu hal yang nyata dan bukan merupakan cerita karangan belaka. Diantara beberapa bangkai kereta tadi, ditemukan pula sebuah roda dengan 4 buah jeruji yang terbuat dari emas. Sepertinya, inilah sisa dari roda kereta kuda yang ditunggangi oleh Pharaoh sang raja.
Sekarang mari kita perhatikan gambar diatas, Pada bagian peta yang dilingkari (lingkaran merah), menurut para ahli kira-kira disitulah lokasi dimana Nabi Musa bersama para kaumnya menyebrangi laut Merah. Lokasi penyeberangan diperkirakan berada di Teluk Aqaba di Nuweiba. Kedalaman maksimum perairan di sekitar lokasi penyeberangan adalah 800 meter di sisi ke arah Mesir dan 900 meter di sisi ke arah Arab. Sementara itu di sisi utara dan selatan lintasan penyeberangan (garis merah) kedalamannya mencapai 1500 meter. Kemiringan laut dari Nuweiba ke arah Teluk Aqaba sekitar 1/14 atau 4 derajat, sementara itu dari Teluk Nuweiba ke arah daratan Arab sekitar 1/10 atau 6 derajat
Diperkirakan jarak antara Nuweiba ke Arab sekitar 1800 meter.Lebar lintasan Laut Merah yang terbelah diperkirakan 900 meter. Dapatkah kita membayangkan berapa gaya yang diperlukan untuk dapat membelah air laut hingga memiliki lebar lintasan 900 meter dengan jarak 1800 meter pada kedalaman perairan yang rata2 mencapai ratusan meter untuk waktu yang cukup lama, mengingat pengikut Nabi Musa yang menurut sejarah berjumlah ribuan? (menurut tulisan lain diperkirakan jaraknya mencapai 7 km, dengan jumlah pengikut Nabi Musa sekitar 600.000 orang dan waktu yang ditempuh untuk menyeberang sekitar 4 jam).
Menurut sebuah perhitungan, diperkirakan diperlukan tekanan (gaya per satuan luas) sebesar 2.800.000 Newton/m2 atau setara dengan tekanan yang kita terima Jika menyelam di laut hingga kedalaman 280 meter. Jika kita kaitkan dengan kecepatan angin,menurut beberapa perhitungan, setidaknya diperlukan hembusan angin dengan kecepatan konstan 30 meter/detik (108 km/jam) sepanjang malam untuk dapat membelah dan mempertahankan belahan air laut tersebut dalam jangka waktu 4 jam!!! sungguh luar biasa, Allah Maha Besar.
Pada Desember 1975, George dan Kathleen serta anak-anak mereka pindah ke sebuah rumah di 112 Ocean Avenue, sebuah rumah besar bergaya kolonial Belanda di Amityville, sebuah lingkungan di pinggiran kota di selatan Long Island, New York.
Tigabelas bulan sebelum keluarga Lutz pindah, Ronald DeFeo, Jr., pemilik sebelumnya, telah menembak mati enam anggota keluarganya di rumah itu. Setelah 28 hari keluarga Lutz tinggal dirumah itu, mereka mulai merasakan hal-hal aneh dengan rumah tersebut.
Bagian ini berdasarkan buku yang ditulis oleh Jay Anson, 1977, The Amityville Horror – A True Story.
Jay Anson (1921-1980), adalah penulis The Amityville Horror
Rumah bernomor 112 di Ocean Avenue telah kosong selama 13 bulan setelah DeFeo membunuh anggota keluarganya, hingga pada Desember 1975 keluarga Lutz membeli rumah tersebut seharga $80.000. Rumah yang memiliki enam kamar tidur ini dibangun dengan gaya kolonial Belanda, dan memiliki atap yang melengkung. Rumah ini dilengkapi dengan kolam renang dan sebuah rumah tempat penyimpanan kapal. George dan Kathy telah menikah pada bulan Juli 1975 dan mempunyai rumah mereka sendiri, namun ingin memulai kembali dengan memiliki rumah baru. Kathy mempunyai tiga anak dari pernikahan sebelumnya, Daniel (9), Christopher (7), dan Melissa alias Missy (5). Mereka juga memiliki seekor anjing Labrador yang diberi nama Harry. Selama pengecekkan mereka saat akan membeli rumah tersebut, oleh agen mereka telah diberitahukan mengenai pembunuhan yang dilakukan oleh DeFeo, namun mereka menganggap hal itu bukanlah masalah.
Keluarga Lutz pindah kerumah tersebut pada 18 Desember 1975. Sebagian besar mebel dari keluarga DeFeo masih ada, karena semuanya termasuk dalam kesepakatan jual beli. Seorang teman George Lutz telah mempelajari tentang masa lalu sejarah rumah tersebut, dan mendesak agar mereka melakukan pemberkatan. Namun mereka tidak mengerti cara-caranya. George mengenal seorang Pendeta Katolik yang bernama Bapa Ray, dan ia bersedia untuk melakukan pemberkatan. (Dalam buku Anson disebutkan nama Pendeta tersebut adalah Bapa Mancuso. Hal ini dilakukan untuk menjaga privasi Pendeta tersebut, nama aslinya adalah Bapa Ralph J. Pecoraro).
Bapa Mancuso adalah seorang pengacara, imam Katolik, dan seorang psikoterapi yang tinggal di Sacred Heart Rectory. Ia tiba untuk melaksanakan berkat pada sore hari tanggal 18 Desember 1975 disaat George dan Kathy sedang membongkar barang-barang mereka. Ketika ia mengibaskan air suci yang pertama dan mulai untuk berdoa, ia mendengar suara dengan jelas yang mengatakan”Keluar!” – “Get out!”. Disaat meninggalkan rumah tersebut, ia tidak menceritakan kejadian itu kepada George maupun Kathy. Pada 24 Desember 1975, Bapa Mancuso menelepon George Lutz dan menasihatkan agar dia tidak menggunakan ruang dimana ia telah mendengar suara yang aneh tersebut. Ruang ini adalah ruangan yang direncanakan Kathy digunakan sebagai ruang jahit, dan tadinya adalah kamar tidur Marc dan Yohanes Matthew DeFeo. Percakapan telepon terputus secara tiba-tiba, dan kunjungan berikutnya ke rumah tersebut mengakibatkan Bapa Mancuso menderita demam tinggi dan pada lengannya dijumpai tanda yang mirip dengan tanda stigmata.
Pada mulanya, George dan Kathy Lutz tidak merasakan hal yang aneh dengan rumah mereka. Namun kemudian, mereka merasa bahwa “masing-masing dari mereka tinggal di suatu rumah yang berbeda”.
Sebagian dari pengalaman keluarga Lutz diuraikan sebagai berikut:
George selalu terbangun sekitar pukul 03:15 setiap paginya, dan kemudian keluar ke rumah tempat penyimpanan kapal. Waktu tersebut diperkirakan adalah waktu dimana DeFeo membunuh anggota keluarganya.
Rumah mereka selalu diganggu oleh segerombolan lalat di setiap musim dingin.
Kathy mendapat mimpi buruk tentang pembunuhan dan saat dimana ia melakukan persetujuan pembelian rumah tersebut. Anak-anak mereka juga mulai tertidur dengan terlungkup, posisi yang sama saat mayat DeFeo ditemukan.
Kathy merasakan seolah-olah “sedang dipeluk” dengan penuh kasih oleh suatu kekuatan yang tidak terlihat.
Kathy menemukan sebuah ruang kecil yang tersembunyi (sekitar empat kaki) di belakang basement. Dindingnya bercat merah dan ruangan itu tidak tampak didalam denah rumah. Ruangan itu kemudian dikenal dengan nama “The Red Room”. Ruangan ini memiliki pengaruh terhadap anjing mereka Harry, yang selalu menolak untuk mendekat dan selalu berjongkok seolah-olah merasakan sesuatu yang negatif.
Ada udara dingin, bau parfum dan kotoran didalam rumah, dimana tidak terdapat saluran udara atau jalur bagi sumber tersebut.
Putri mereka yang berumur lima tahun, Missy, mengisahkan teman imajinasinya yang bernama “Jodie” yang memiliki mata yang sangat merah.
George selalu dibangunkan oleh bunyi bantingan pintu depan. Ia akan segera ke lantai bawah dan menemukan anjing mereka tertidur dengan suara keras didepan pintu. Tidak ada orang lain yang mendengar suara itu kecuali dia.
George mendengar apa yang diuraikan sebagai “Marching band Jerman” atau suara seperti radio yang tidak di setel dengan frekuensi yang tepat. Namun ketika ia ke menuju lantai bawah, suara gaduh akan berhenti.
George disadari bahwa ia memiliki kemiripan kuat dengan Ronald DeFeo, Jr., dan mulai bermabukan di The Witches’ Brew, bar dimana DeFeo adalah salah seorang pelanggannya.
Ketika mengecek tempat penyimpanan kapal pada suatu malam, George melihat sepasang mata merah yang sedang memperhatikan dia dari jendela kamar tidur Missy. Ketika ia pergi keatas untuk melihatnya, ia tidak menemukan apa-apa. Kemudian disimpulkan bahwa itu adalah “Jodie”.
Ketika ditempat tidur, Kathy mendapatkan bekas merah didadanya disebabkan oleh suatu kekuatan tak terlihat, dan ia diangkat sekitar dua kaki dari tempat tidurnya.
Kunci, jendela, dan pintu rumah dirusakkan oleh suatu kekuatan yang tak terlihat.
Terdapat belahan kuku binatang yang besar di salju yang kemudian dihubungkan dengan seekor babi besar pada 1 Januari 1976.
Dari dinding aula dan lubang kunci dari pintu kamar bermain yang ada di loteng keluar lumpur yang berwarna hijau.
Sebuah salib 12 inchi yang digantung Kathy di kamar kecil ditemukan terpasang terbalik dan menyemburkan bau.
George tersandung oleh sebuah keramik singa Tiongkok yang memiliki tinggi sekitar empat kaki, yang kemudian meninggalkan bekas gigitan pada salah satu mata kakinya.
George melihat Kathy berubah menjadi seorang wanita tua yang berumur sekitar 90-an, “dengan rambut acak-acakan, muka dengan kerutan dan berbentuk buruk, dan air liur yang menetes dari mulutnya yang ompong”.
George dan Kathy Lutz dikelilingi dengan berbagai media yang mengulas kasus mereka
Setelah memutuskan bahwa ada yang tidak beres dengan rumah mereka, yang tidak dapat dijelaskan secara rasional, George dan Kathy Lutz melaksanakan suatu pemberkatan dengan cara mereka sendiri pada 8 Januari 1976. George memegang sebuah salib yang terbuat dari perak selagi kedua-duanya membacakan Doa Para Raja, dan dari ruang tamu mereka, menurut dugaan banyak oang terdengar suara paduan suara yang meminta agar mereka berhenti: “Will you stop!”.
Di pertengahan Januari 1976, dan setelah usaha pemberkatan yang dilakukan oleh George dan Kathy, mereka mengalami kejadian yang kemudian menjadi malam terakhir mereka berada di rumah itu. Keluarga Lutz menilai bahwa segala kejadian yang terjadi sebagai sesuatu yang sangat menakutkan, “too frightening”.
Setelah berkonsultasi dengan Bapa Mancuso, mereka memutuskan untuk mengambil beberapa barang kepunyaan mereka dan memutuskan untuk tinggal di rumah ibu Kathy di dekat Deer Park, New York. Pada 14 Januari 1976, George dan Kathy Lutz bersama ketiga anaknya dan anjing mereka Harry, meninggalkan rumah dan meninggalkan banyak barang dibelakang rumah tersebut. Hari berikutnya, seorang tukang ditugaskan untuk memindahkan barang-barang untuk dikirim ke keluarga Lutz. Ia melaporkan ada fenomena yang tidak normal didalam rumah itu.
Buku ini ditulis setelah Tam Mossman, seorang editor di penerbit Prentice Hall yang mengenalkan George dan Kathy Lutz kepada Jay Anson. Mereka tidak bekerja secara langsung dengan Anson, namun disampaikan melalui rekaman tape yang berdurasi sekitar 45 jam, yang kemudian menjadi dasar bagi penulisan buku ini. Diperkirakan penjualan buku ini mencapai sepuluh juta kopi dari beberapa edisi. Anson dikatakan mengambil dasar judul bukunya “The Amityville Horror” dari “The Dunwich Horror” karangan H.P. Lovecraft yang diterbitkan pada tahun 1929.
