October 29, 2019

"I remember mom always telling me that all in all in the end the only one you really have is God. I have come to a place in experience where, in every sense of the word, I have surrendered myself to our creator."

"I DO NOT want the negotiations for my release to be your duty... know you would want me to remain strong. That is exactly what I am doing."

Wrote Kayla Mueller, quoted in "Kayla Mueller was a U.S. hostage killed in ISIS custody. The raid against Baghdadi was named for her" (WaPo).

I was happy to see this article and this kind of strong, true religion in The Washington Post. But the article, which went up yesterday afternoon, is not on the front page at the website now and not on WaPo's most-read list.

And it's dispiriting that the top-rated comment — quoting Kayla's mother ("I still say Kayla should be here, and if [President Barack] Obama had been as decisive as President Trump, maybe she would have been") — is:
Grief only excuses so much. Obama was not responsible for Kayla Mueller's death, either directly or through the sort of passivity her mother implies. Crediting the narcissistic, exploitative Trump with decisiveness is delusional.
There are many other comments in that vein, and I didn't read them all but I didn't see anything expressing awe at Kayla's saintly religious faith.

62 comments:

BamaBadgOR said...

Direct hit. Thank you.

RMc said...

I didn't see anything expressing awe at Kayla's saintly religious faith.

Lefties have but one faith: Get Trump.

rhhardin said...

It doesn't take religious faith to face death calmly.

Birkel said...

Obama (ordered) guns run from Libya to ISIS to help overthrow Assad.

Nichevo said...

Shorter comment: curse you grieving mother for your bad politics which do not serve me!

Kevin said...

I was happy to see this article and this kind of strong, true religion in The Washington Post.

It’s in the WAPO only because it serves to excuse Obama for not rescuing her.

It’s about C-Y-A, not G-O-D.

exhelodrvr1 said...

Readers of the WaPo - what did you expect? Those readers who actually felt that way about her faith are very likely afraid of what all the other "progressives" will say about that type of comment.

rehajm said...

What sick fucks these people are...

Shouting Thomas said...

The bishop presided over services for confirmation a week ago.

He delivered a very good sermon on the purpose and practice of prayer.

What can you do in the circumstances forced on this young woman, but try to find peace and release in prayer?

Why me? Why am I in this place? Those are the questions that must be asked and answered.

David Begley said...

President Trump has the ability to do and say things that would cause a normal person to say, “Good job Mr. President.” The Left, on the other hand, goes crazy. Trump has exposed the Left’s hate and insanity. He wins in 2020.

Obama was weak and indecisive. And he cared more about himself than a kidnapped American. I saw Samathna Power on Saturday and I don’t know how she lives with herself about Syria and the red line.

And “saintly” is right. There are many Catholic saints who were killed for refusing to renounce their faith.

Ron Winkleheimer said...

As a Christian I can only pray that I would be able to exhibit such faithfulness.

Maillard Reactionary said...

"...I didn't see anything expressing awe at Kayla's saintly religious faith."

That's because so many Whappo readers believe that all in all at the end the only one you really have is the State.

Religious people (I mean real religions, not satanic death cults like Islam) baffle and infuriate them. It is best that they are publicly unacknowledged, until the Left finds itself in a position where they can be actively suppressed.

Fernandinande said...

awe at Kayla's saintly religious faith

"Pity" certainly, but never "awe".

Speaking of awe-ful religious faith -

[Whappo's Austere Religious Scholar] used American hostage as sexual slave

"A recent issue of the English-language magazine published by the Islamic State described the taking of sex slaves as religiously justified. The article — titled “Slave girls or prostitutes?” — endorsed the practice, saying sex slaves are “lawful for the one who ends up possessing them even without pronouncement of divorce by their [non-Muslim] husbands.”

The article went on to cite accounts that the prophet Muhammad “took four slave-girls as concubines,” a purported religious basis for the practice."

Gunner said...

These same WaPo terrorist lovers undoubtedly think that crazy Muslim guy at the Democratic Convention has an unlimited right to blame Trump for his son dying in the war Hillary voted for.

tim in vermont said...

I have a close friend who has a deep religious faith that I believe allowed her to overcome addiction to heroin. I never question it, ever.

Phil 314 said...

I’d be curious on Cindy Sheehan’s take on this.

tim in vermont said...

Neither atheism or feminism offer the comfort to the soul of the things they destroy.

I say this as an atheist, but you know, evolution implies an awful lot that I think many atheists and feminists seem to reject. It’s like many of them, the activist “Freedom From Religion” types, act as if we were created out of clay by God like so many blank cuneiform slates, and feminists believe we were made identical by a fair and loving god equal in all respects that aren’t obvious to the eye.

We spend hundreds of thousands of years as small bands living in unforgiving wilderness selected for our behaviors as much as our physical traits by an uncaring universe. That’s undeniable.

chuck said...

AFAICT, only teenagers comment on WaPo articles.

Birches said...

Wonder how those commenters feel about Cindy Sheehan? I wish Mueller's parents hadn't been negative towards Obama, but I feel the same way about Sheehan and the Newtown parents. It's easy to lash out at elected officials when you're in pain.

GingerBeer said...

It's funny how that even with "absolute moral authority" the ratchet only turns Left.

Wince said...

Looking for the history, I found this Wiki article quite powerful.

The U.S. military and Mueller's family attempted several times to rescue Mueller, devoting large resources to the search. In July 2014, U.S. special operations forces (from Delta Force and Navy SEAL Team Six) raided an abandoned oil refinery near Raqqa in an unsuccessful attempt to find reporter James Foley (whom ISIL later murdered) and other hostages. The commandos found evidence that the hostages had recently been held there, finding writing on the cell walls and hair believed to be Mueller's, but the refinery was empty.

A Mueller family spokesman said that Mueller's parents "often communicated with the White House in trying to free their daughter." In the summer 2014, as other options were exhausted, Mueller's parents asked President Obama in a letter to consider trading Mueller for Aafia Siddiqui, a convicted terrorist serving 86 years in federal prison; Siddiqui's release has been a long-sought demand of ISIS and al-Qaeda. The proposed exchange did not take place; the Obama administration had also rejected demands from other militant groups to exchange Siddiqui.

Catherine Herridge of Fox News reported via anonymous sources that the location of Mueller and other American hostages was known by the White House in May 2014. However, a decision regarding a rescue mission was not made for seven weeks, because the White House had asked for further intelligence to be obtained. By that time, the hostages had been dispersed.

In August 2015, the New York Times reported that Mueller had been forced into marriage to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who raped her repeatedly. She had also been tortured.

It had also been reported in May 2015 that Mueller was a "personal captive" of Abu Sayyaf. In August 2015, ABC News reported that Abu Sayyaf's widow, Umm Sayyaf, had confirmed that al-Baghdadi had been Mueller's primary abuser.

Fellow captives who were released or escaped reported Mueller's strength and compassion. She was concerned for the safety of others, even intentionally passing up an escape attempt to give other women a better chance at freedom. After months of prolonged torture and abuse, ISIS members, who are known for their persecution of Christians, attempted to use her as propaganda by claiming she had abandoned the Christian faith in front of other male prisoners, but she denied it. Daniel Rye Ottosen, a Danish freelance photographer and fellow captive, said that the men in the room "...were impressed by the strength that she showed in front of us. That was very clear."

Death
A media account affiliated with ISIS released a statement on February 6, 2015, claiming that a female American hostage held by the group was killed by one of around a dozen Jordanian airstrikes in Raqqa. The statement came just days after the release of a video showing the burning alive of a Jordanian fighter pilot, Muath al-Kasasbeh, by ISIS and the subsequent execution of Sajida Mubarak Atrous al-Rishawi and other prisoners of Jordan. The statement was later translated by the SITE Intelligence Group, identifying the hostage as Mueller. Other reports claimed Mueller was killed in an American airstrike. Mueller had been a hostage of ISIL for 18 months....

On February 10, 2015, Mueller's family announced ISIS had confirmed her death to them in an e-mail, with three photographs of her dead body, bruised on the face and wearing a black hijab. National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said this message was authenticated by the intelligence community. President Barack Obama offered his condolences to Mueller's family.

On August 24, 2016, ABC News reported that Doctors Without Borders had declined to help negotiate her release. Doctors without Borders then issued their version of the story which they have since deleted from their website but an archived copy is still available online.

Big Mike said...

Obama really was an indecisive twit; that’s well-established. But regardless, I am trying to imagine how delusional one must be to write that Donald Trump is not decisive.

Jamie said...

It wasn't just death she was facing.

I hope if I'm ever called on to face anything so terrible, I will have the courage she seems to have had. I also hope most fervently that I won't be called on.

(I missed my shot to bring up Absolute Moral Authority by one comment. Darn.)

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Leftwing hearts grieve for the dead terrorist. He was austere religious scholar.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Leftwing hiveminders still blindly worship their false god Obama. Obama elevated total frauds to run things. Hillary and Biden to name a few. Money grubbing money whores who do not care at all about anything but their own family fortunes.

Leland said...

In death, as in life, she is just a pawn to people who knew her name but didn't know her. But she knew better. She accepted her own agency in the decision that lead her down her path in life. She accepted and owned her share of the responsibility that put her in her situation. The shame is that there is one less person in this world willing to own their life. She was with saving.

tim in vermont said...

Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump
Just confirmed that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s number one replacement has been terminated by American troops. Most likely would have taken the top spot - Now he is also Dead!


Reply: “Now you are the world’s most wanted terrrorist."

Ann Althouse said...

I think Obama was careful and concerned about not making mistakes. I'm seeing him as almost the opposite of Trump, who is ready to take chances and shake things up. It takes nerve to act and nerve not to act. Who imagines himself ready to take on such responsibilities? I don't trust anyone who says I'm the one. But Obama seems to have responded to others moving him forward, telling him he could do it and I believe he knew they were projecting their hopes and desires onto him and that he stepped into that. Trump told himself he could do it. How he arrived at that confidence, I do not know, and how he continues in the face of adversity is simply amazing.

traditionalguy said...

The evil of Muslim faith is the Question. It is dedicated to beheading all heads containing infidel thoughts. They waive their black flags proclaiming the Caliph's goal that is the same goal chanted from Muslim Prayer Towers. This young lady was only kept alive for Muslim sexual dominance thrills that Muslims claim are a right goes along with being one of Allah's warriors.

The WaPo crowd see Muslims as their partner. Working together they can wipe out the Christian faith. It is no wonder they hate Trump. He dares to say God has a Son. And that is the most totally hateful thought to the Muslim's and to the World Governance guys.

buster said...

Richard Fernandez at the Belmont Club has an interesting take on this.

Sebastian said...

When in the culture war even nice liberals spend years questioning whether people believe what they profess to believe, especially Christian people, it is not surprising that no prog will express awe at anyone's faith.

Faith in general is dangerous to progs: they cannot abide a higher power, they cannot stand the competition. This faith in particular is dangerous to progs: it exposes O's weakness and Trump's strength, which is intolerable.

Seeing Red said...

Who imagines himself ready to take on such responsibilities?

Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

That’s my morning laugh!

Teh One obviously did.

He was teh Bestest at everything.

Seeing Red said...

I think Obama was careful and concerned about not making mistakes.

From a guy who loves the word “I.”

From the guy who ran on wanting to “transform” the country. To do that one actually has to do something. He wanted to do it, he did it, but not get blamed for the mistakes.

Most scandal-free EVAH! The coup organizer.

He gave us Obamacare.

He forced people into Medicare if they wanted to get their social security. Trump just rolled that back.

He made race relations worse.

Birkel said...

Althouse,
Obama literally told people to run guns to Mexican cartels.
Obama literally ran guns from Libya to ISIS.

That was careful and concerned?

gspencer said...

"There are many other comments in that vein, and I didn't read them all but I didn't see anything expressing awe at Kayla's saintly religious faith."

Don't be disappointed or surprised. This result has been foretold, "For many are called, but few are chosen." With the understanding being that being chosen is the result of your own choice.

tim in vermont said...

Obama gave Stinger missiles to Syrian rebels. Why? One of those missiles brought down a US chopper in Afghanistan, the serial number of the missile showed it had been checked out to the CIA. Fortunately the pilot managed to bring it down to a hard landing without losing any soldiers.

Once again, why were we trying to overthrow Assad when we had. just had a huge election that determined that the American people reject such wars?

What were “American interests” in Syria that John Kerry spoke of? We have on interest in Syria, to get along as well as we can with the sovereign government there, Assad. Otherwise Congress should declare war.

stan said...

So Obama forcing law enforcement to back off and allow Hezbollah to operate its criminal operations in the US was careful?! Obama lying more than any politician in history is being careful?

Whoa. Professor, embrace evidence over political faith. Reality works better.

tim in vermont said...

U.S. District Judge William Bertelsman agreed to permit discovery on three of 33 allegedly libelous statements in The Post’s coverage of the Jan. 18 incident pertaining to teenager Nicholas Sandmann. The Post has insisted that its reporting was fair and accurate.
All three flagged statements from the newspaper’s coverage refer to Omaha Nation elder Nathan Phillips being blocked or impeded by Nicholas, a student at Covington Catholic High School, during their viral encounter at the Lincoln Memorial stairs.

“The Court will adhere to its previous rulings as they pertain to these statements except Statements 10, 11, and 33, to the extent that these three statements state that plaintiff ‘blocked’ Nathan Phillips and ‘would not allow him to retreat,’” Judge Bertelsman said in his Monday order.


I guess he figures that outright lies might be problematic, where repeating lies was not.

Ken B said...

*blinks in amazement *
Birkel is right. Obama was cautious about things that could blow up in his face. He was reckless with other people's faces.

Ken B said...

She is captured, raped repeatedly, and killed. Fernandistein pities her ... because she prayed.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

I think Obama made his deep state rich.

Ambrose said...

Mothers of terror victims have absolute moral authority - so long as they are Democrats.

Michael K said...

Obama was an empty suit who was very concerned About making a mistake.

He had no history of doing anything novel or out of the ordinary. His Senate election was run by Emil Jones, an old time Democrat fixer in Illinois.

I would still like to know who was running him.

I suspect the Ayres family had more influnece than has ever been acknowledged.

Otto said...

"How he arrived at that confidence, I do not know, and how he continues in the face of adversity is simply amazing."
Sad that you have never had a relationship with a strong male or a strong Christian upbringing. Your befuddlement of each is very telling.

Feminism dies in darkness.

But I Have to admit this isn't a basement peering post so kudos to you.

robother said...

"I didn't see anything expressing awe at Kayla's saintly religious faith.


It doesn't take much to decode the WaPo/Left code: Christian spirituality = creepy, dangerous.
Third World spirituality = "austere, religious, scholarly."

MadTownGuy said...

buster said...
"Richard Fernandez at the Belmont Club has an interesting take on this."

Fernandez talks a lot about the symptoms and even hints that the cause is Trump-induced stress. Nothing at all about the left's motivation for promoting gender dysphoria. I'll suggest a reason: it's a distraction, part of a multi-pronged attack on anyone who opposes the leftist agenda, to divert energies from resisting the move to socialism.

Qwinn said...

Obama had no concern whatsoever in making what any patriot would consider massive mistakes. His only care and concern was to make the media report as if he never made mistakes, and he jailed or otherwise removed any that wouldn't cooperate. Ask James Rosen or the Benghazi video guy or even rodeo clowns. A dozen others.

Dude1394 said...

Democrats are anti-religion, have been for a long time. They only pretend for votes. Like most things they espouse.

hombre said...

“There are many other comments in that vein, and I didn't read them all but I didn't see anything expressing awe at Kayla's saintly religious faith.”

After all, it is the WaPo, the rag that reported about the “austere religious scholar” who “dies at 48 [from natural causes]” /s . Other than readers like yourself, curious to see how far they have fallen, their audience is predominantly godless leftist lemmings.

hombre said...

Publishing that quote from Kayla will likely be the only service rendered to mankind by WaPo this year.

Jupiter said...

"I didn't see anything expressing awe at Kayla's saintly religious faith."

Nor the saintly religious faith of the filthy, stinking Muslim animal who kept her a helpless prisoner and raped her for the crime of not being a filthy, stinking Muslim.

narciso said...

they do seem subcontracting the Qatari,


https://www.powerlineblog.com/

the London times obituary of Baghdadi is most comprehensive,

bagoh20 said...

In that situation, where death is certain, you only have a choice in how you conduct yourself on the way out. I would hope I would have the courage this woman showed us, whether religious, patriotic or just defiant.

It certainly was not Obama's fault she was killed, in the same way that if you don't call the fire department when a house is on fire, it's not your fault..., and you happen to be the fire chief.

bagoh20 said...

In that situation, where death is certain, you only have a choice in how you conduct yourself on the way out. I would hope I would have the courage this woman showed us, whether religious, patriotic or just defiant.

It certainly was not Obama's fault she was killed, in the same way that if you don't call the fire department when a house is on fire, it's not your fault..., and you happen to be the fire chief.

Laurent said...

Embarrassingly enough, I always thought it was "in the same vane" as in the all went the same direction. As in a weather vane.

Maillard Reactionary said...

I agree with Seeing Red @9:17 AM. Choosing not to act is also a choice (sometimes called the "null option").

However, when it came to betraying American interests by making secret deals with the Iranians, he could be a real Man of Action.

Martin said...

If you ever feel optimistic that the country can heal, just read the comments at almost anything on the NYT or WaPo websites and you will be disabused. The hate there, directed against fellow-Americans they don't know, is just incredible.

traditionalguy said...

While Hussein Obama was Commander-in-Chief, the ISIS guys that he created, supported and commanded were safe. But the Benghazi guys fighting against them were rigged to die. Don't blame God. Blame Trump for waiting so long to run and win so he could make a decision to make ISIS dead as door nails.

Will Conan be sent to Pelosi's Office next?

Yancey Ward said...

Obama is the poker player who never bluffs, and never calls unless he has the nuts. If you play poker, you will understand what this means.

Kevin said...

Yet another example showing that we were wrong to devote so many resources and lives to fighting external enemies, when the enemies that are so gleefully bringing about our destruction are here.

gerry said...

There are many other comments in that vein, and I didn't read them all but I didn't see anything expressing awe at Kayla's saintly religious faith.

You wanted to read something expressing awe at someone's saintly religious faith, and you were reading the Washington Post?

Well, you voted for Obama...that does explain a lot.

paminwi said...

“ Catherine Herridge of Fox News reported via anonymous sources that the location of Mueller and other American hostages was known by the White House in May 2014. However, a decision regarding a rescue mission was not made for seven weeks, because the White House had asked for further intelligence to be obtained. By that time, the hostages had been dispersed.”

Any freaking idiot who has been getting intelligence briefings every damn day knows full well that high value hostages rarely stay long in anyone location. Obama wanted more information and effing dawdled for 7 weeks. Did he think that ISIS was setting up housekeeping?
He was afraid because of he was worried about his legacy - nothing more, nothing less.
And for Althouse, a retired professor, to not be smarter than this seems to be wanting to overlook Obama’s failures as as CiC.