JUST FOUND Video Of American Steven Sotloff Getting Beheaded By ISIS

by Ted on September 2, 2014 in Featured, General

SHOEBAT EXCLUSIVE
By Theodore Shoebat and Walid Shoebat

Shoebat.com has just found the video of ISIS beheading American journalist Steven Sotloff.

ΔΕΙΤΕ ΤΟ ΒΙΝΤΕΟ ΕΔΩ¨¨http://shoebat.com/2014/09/02/just-found-video-american-steven-sotloff-getting-beheaded-isis/

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ABC, while not having the video, said that the video “purportedly” showed the beheading. The rest of the mainstream media is saying the same thing. Well now we know for a fact that Steven Sotloff, like James Foley, was beheaded.

Some complained about showing the video, but this is naive and is irresponsible by the U.S. government and the media alike in which they for decades watered down the real threat that Americans face when they pussyfoot with Islam. Perhaps the only way to help people understand why we post the video is to explain the hard lesson that needs to be sent to people who only learn the hard way, especially the liberal type who are sympathetic to Islamic causes and think that a cobra is simply just another fish. Here is Sotlof’s naive and typical western lack of comprehension about Muslim fundamentalists which cost him his life:

As was the case with Foley, Sotloff appeared to be sympathetic to the causes of opposition groups in Libya and Syria (sounds familiar?) as well as the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. Unfortunately, these American journalists like most liberals are often times far too willing to befriend Muslim fundamentalists who will turn on them.

In the days after the Muslim Brotherhood regime in Egypt was overthrown last year, Sotloff visited the site of the Brotherhood protests at the Raba’a al-Adawiyya mosque and wrote about the experience:

When I told my Egyptian friend Ahmad Kamal that I wanted to go to the Muslim Brotherhood protest camp in Nasser City, a pallid look gripped him. “Don’t go there!” he pleaded. “They are fanatics who hate foreigners. Americans like you are in danger there.”

After an hour of fruitless conversation over endless glasses of sweet tea, I rose, shook Ahmad’s hand, and headed straight to the lair where he believed I would be devoured.

But when I arrived at Nasser City, the picture Ahmad painted of long-bearded, club-wielding extremists bent on roughing up secular Egyptians was just as devoid of truth so much else in this divided country. Coups depicted as revolutions, peaceful protesters painted as fanatics, and disgruntled citizens hailed as revolutionaries have transformed Egypt into a circus where the main attraction is the uncertainty of heading into the unknown.

Was it “devoid of truth”? Its time for folks to listen up; this is Islamic fundamentalism which we warned you about for decades, and Soltof’s head is the result. Stop pussyfooting with cobras.

The full details surrounding Sotloff’s disappearance are not known but it happened about one month later in Syria and if he was willing to go to Raba’a al-Adawiyya in the days after Mursi was overthrown, there’s no telling what he was willing to do in Syria.

As Shoebat.com has reported, ISIS and the Muslim Brotherhood are now fighting each other, not because of a difference in ideology but more over turf and what each side envisions as the model and leadership of any Caliphate.

In hindsight, Sotloff would have done well to listen to Ahmad, the man who pleaded with him to stay away from Raba’a al-Adawiyya. These journalists who don’t understand the mindset of the likes of the FSA in Syria (as Foley apparently did not) also don’t understand the stealth mindset of Muslim Brotherhood figures like Gehad el-Haddad.

Gehad El-Haddad

While at the mosque, Sotloff interacted with a former Clinton Foundation employee and Muslim Brotherhood leader Gehad el-Haddad, who was the Chief of Staff to Muslim Brotherhood Deputy Khairat el-Shater:

Drawing on his vast knowledge of Western liberalism, Haddad explained how the military’s coup contravened the pillars of democracy. “President Morsi was elected by the people at the ballot box,” he noted, scratching his perfectly trimmed beard. “Only there can his legitimacy and position be removed. Not in the streets with tanks and machine gun toting soldiers.”

Haddad’s sentiments were echoed by those in the crowd albeit less articulately and more fragmented. “The people voted for Morsi,” 45-year-old teacher Sa’id Rashwan told me. “Why have a few now decided he cannot rule?’

Such frustrations were the main theme of the Nasser City protests. But others expressed puzzlement with the very fundamentals of electoral politics. “Is this how democracy functions?” asked a 38-year-old carpenter, Salim Moussa. “When people get mad at your president does he have to resign?”

Despite their indignation, Morsi supporters were adamant they would not resort to violence.“We have made our commitment to elections and democracy,” Haddad explained. “We believe violence neither serves our cause nor that of the Egyptian people.”

At the time, one of Sotloff’s tweets directed followers to Haddad’s twitter feed in order to get the Muslim Brotherhood perspective about what was going on in Egypt:

Haddad’s last tweet was on September 12th of last year. He was jailed soon thereafter as Egypt came under the control of Gen. Abdel Fatah el-Sisi. As Shoebat.com has reported on extensively, Haddad was an employee of the Clintons (Bill and Hillary) for years.

In a bizarre type of macabre foreshadowing, Sotloff ended his article with a paragraph that would ultimately prove his friend Ahmad right:

Ahmad refuses to countenance that the Brotherhood and its supporters have legitimate grievances. Such stubbornness is blocking the path to reconciliation Egypt desperately needs to extricate itself from its security and economic woes. And until Egyptians like Ahmad extend an olive branch to those in Nasser City, Egypt will continue to be mired in a zone of uncertainty.

In the case of Foley, as Shoebat.com reported, despite his support for the Free Syrian Army (FSA), a group affiliated with the FSA reportedly turned Foley over to his ultimate killers as a goodwill gesture.

As for Sotloff, he demonstrated a willingness to put himself in a very bad spot and attempted to ingratiate himself with bad actors.

When those bad actors are Muslim fundamentalists, betrayal should always be in the calculus.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS TERRORISM

Islamic Front and Al Nusrah Front promote 'liberation' of border crossing

In a series of posts on their official Twitter feeds, the Islamic Front and the Al Nusrah Front are promoting the "liberation" of the Quneitra border crossing between Syria and the Israeli-controlled portion of the Golan Heights. The Islamic Front is a coalition of several rebel groups, including Ahrar al Sham, which is linked to al Qaeda. The Al Nusrah Front is al Qaeda's official branch inside Syria.

Both organizations have produced video tours of Quneitra, showcasing the defeat of Bashar al Assad's forces and their control over the area. The alliance of Islamist and jihadist groups launched a military offensive in Quneitra earlier this week.

The video shown above was released on one of Al Nusrah's official Twitter feeds. Toward the beginning of the video, a narrator says that "your brothers" in Al Nusrah will attack Quneitra because it is controlled by Assad's army and is a "strategic point" connecting Syria to the Golan Heights, which has been "occupied by the Jews" for nearly 50 years.

A montage of footage showing Al Nusrah's fighters assaulting Quneitra is then played. In one scene, a jihadist destroys a poster of Bashar al Assad. Al Nusrah's black banner is then raised over a Syrian government building.

About two minutes into the video an Al Nusrah Front leader, accompanied by several fighters, claims credit for the successful raid, referring to his organization as both Al Nusrah and as Al Qaeda in the Land of the Levant.

"We give the Islamic ummah news of the liberation of the Quneitra crossing, the Syrian-Zionist crossing, by the lions of monotheism from the Al Nusrah Front -- Al Qaeda in the Land of the Levant -- and their mujahideen brothers in other Islamic factions," the leader says, according to a translation obtained by The Long War Journal.

Al Nusrah's "mujahideen brothers in other Islamic factions" include members of the Islamic Front. A separate video, released by the Islamic Front, offers viewers a two-minute, 14-second tour of Quneitra after its "liberation."

Just over two minutes into the video, a brief scene of what appears to be a UN peacekeepers' outpost is shown.

Syrian rebels captured 43 UN peacekeepers during the raid on Quneitra, but thus far the UN has not named the groups responsible for their detention. It is not immediately clear what the purpose of the Islamic Front's footage is. A screen shot of the scene can be seen immediately below.

Ansar Jerusalem beheads 4 Egyptians accused of being Israeli 'spies'

A masked Ansar Jerusalem terrorist is shown standing behind four blindfolded Egyptian civilians, who were accused of being Israeli "spies." All four were beheaded later in the same video.

Ansar Jerusalem, (also known as Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis), has released a video displaying the graphic beheadings of four Egyptian civilians the group accused of being "spies" for Israel. According to Ansar Jerusalem, Israel has supposedly killed the group's members in cross-border drone strikes launched in the Sinai, including an alleged bombing on July 23. Egyptian government officials have denied Israeli involvement.

The video was first released on Ansar Jerusalem's official Twitter feed, which has since been taken down.

At the beginning of the video, a masked terrorist is shown reading a statement while standing behind the four civilians, who are kneeling and blindfolded. The video then cuts to images of slain Ansar Jerusalem members and a photo of a burned vehicle, which the group says was struck by an Israeli missile.

A vehicle Ansar Jersualem claims was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike.

Much of the video is then devoted to showing the four men's "confessions." They say that they gave information to Israeli intelligence in return for payments. Their confessions are made under clear duress, and should not be accepted at face value.

After the footage of the four purported confessions is aired, the video returns to the scene of the masked terrorist and others standing behind them. The men are then beheaded and their decapitated heads are placed on their corpses.

In the past, Ansar Jerusalem has published videos showing members of Egyptian security forces and other alleged spies being executed. But the new video marks an escalation in the violent tactics the group is willing to broadcast in its propaganda.

The video comes just over one week after the Islamic State, which claims to rule over a "caliphate" stretching over large portions of Iraq and Syria, released a video featuring the beheading of American photojournalist James Foley.

Ansar Jerusalem's own execution video is comparable to the Islamic State's, and the group may have decided to release it after Foley's death received so much international attention.

Earlier this year, an Ansar Jerusalem leader voiced his support for the Islamic State. And the Egyptian press has published rumors that Ansar Jerusalem has sworn bayat (an oath of allegiance) to Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, the Islamic State's emir. But these rumors are, thus far, false. Ansar Jerusalem did not publicly endorse, let alone swear allegiance to, Baghdadi after his subordinates claimed in late June that he now rules as "Caliph Ibrahim." It is likely that some members of Ansar Jerusalem do support the Islamic State, but the extent of that support is unclear. And there are other indications that the group is allied with al Qaeda.

Al Qaeda avoids beheading videos

Al Qaeda has shied away from videos such as the ones produced by the Islamic State and now Ansar Jerusalem. In 2005, for example, Ayman al Zawahiri wrote a letter to Abu Musab al Zarqawi, who was then the head of al Qaeda in Iraq. Zarqawi was notorious for his barbaric executions, which were recorded for the world to see. But Zawahiri argued that such tactics, while they may be justified, were counterproductive when it comes to building popular support for the jihadist ideology.

"Among the things which the feelings of the Muslim populace who love and support you will never find palatable ... are the scenes of slaughtering the hostages," Zawahiri wrote to Zarqawi. Zawahiri continued: "You shouldn't be deceived by the praise of some of the zealous young men and their description of you as the shiekh of the slaughterers, etc. They do not express the general view of the admirer and the supporter of the resistance in Iraq, and of you in particular by the favor and blessing of God."

Zawahiri did not argue that Zarqawi should spare his hostages; he simply didn't want Zarqawi to carry on with his over-the-top executions, which sicken the stomachs of even potential supporters.

"[W]e can kill the captives by bullet," Zawahiri wrote, because "[t]hat would achieve that which is sought after without exposing ourselves to the questions and answering to doubts." Simply put, Zawahiri argued, "We don't need this." Zawahiri comprehended that "more than half of" the jihadists' "battle is taking place in the battlefield of the media," and unspeakable acts of barbarism can be a liability, no matter how justifiable they are from the jihadists' perspective.

Al Qaeda and its various branches have executed hostages and they will continue to do so. In 2002, for instance, 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed beheaded Daniel Pearl, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal. And al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has executed hostages as well. However, al Qaeda's senior leaders do not think that graphic snuff videos are an effective means for promulgating their message.

The difference in tactics can be seen in how al Qaeda has handled the captivity of Warren Weinstein, an American who has been held by the group since 2011, and the recent release of Peter Theo Curtis by the Al Nusrah Front, al Qaeda's official branch in Syria.

Earlier this month, al Qaeda released a message directed at Weinstein's family. "We are not interested in retaining the prisoner in our protection; we are only seeking to exchange him in return for the fulfillment of our demands that we have conveyed," the message reads. Al Qaeda did not threaten to behead Weinstein if its demands were not met. The organization encouraged Weinstein's family to "pressurize" the American government into bartering for his release.

Al Qaeda has not threatened to kill Warren Weinstein, an American who has been in the group's custody since 2011.

Al Qaeda's message was likely inspired by the success the Taliban had in exchanging Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl for the top five Taliban commanders held at Guantanamo.

Interestingly, As Sahab, al Qaeda's official propaganda arm, included the hashtag #JamesFoley in one tweet that featured the message to Weinstein's family. Al Qaeda seemed to be inviting a comparison between Weinstein's captivity and Foley's.

And just days after the Islamic State released its video of Foley's execution, the Al Nusrah Front released Curtis from its custody. The deal to release Curtis was brokered by Qatar, which provides a permissive fundraising environment for Al Nusrah and other jihadist groups. Although the deal to free Curtis had been in the works prior to the release of the Foley execution video, the difference between Curtis' fate and Foley's says much about how the rival jihadist groups are approaching hostage operations.

Some supporters of the Islamic State, which is at odds with Al Nusrah, have even denounced Curtis's release on their social media accounts.

UN reticent about 'armed group' holding 43 Golan Heights peacekeepers

Yesterday the United Nations issued a statement deploring the fact that 43 of its Golan Heights peacekeepers have been captured in the southwestern Syrian province of Quneitra, and that the movements of 81 other peacekeepers nearby have been "restricted." The UN's press release alluded only generally to the group holding the 43 UN troops:

During a period of increased fighting beginning yesterday between armed elements and Syrian Arab Armed Forces within the area of separation in the Golan Heights, 43 peacekeepers from the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) were detained early this morning by an armed group in the vicinity of Al Qunaytirah. In addition, another 81 UNDOF peacekeepers are currently being restricted to their positions in the vicinity of Ar Ruwayhinah and Burayqah. The United Nations is making every effort to secure the release of the detained peacekeepers, and to restore the full freedom of movement of the Force throughout its area of operation.

The few further details supplied by the UN included the facts that the 43 captured soldiers were Fijian, and that the 81 others were from the Philippines.

A UN spokesperson refused to identify the kidnappers:

We are dealing with nonstate armed actors.... The command and control of these groups is unclear. We're not in a position to confirm who is holding whom. Some groups self-identified as being affiliated with Nusra, however, we are unable to confirm it.

A statement from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said only that the kidnappers were "armed elements of the opposition," and called for the immediate release of the detained peacekeepers and the lifting of restrictions on the others.

It is highly likely that the peacekeepers have been seized by the al Qaeda's Syrian Branch, the Al Nusrah Front, which with the assistance of other Islamist groups, including the Islamic Front, this week wrested control of the Quneitra border crossing in the Israel-occupied Golan Heights.

The Wall Street Journal describes the UN presence in the area as follows:

The demilitarized zone in the Golan Heights was established in the months after the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. The zone, as well as the crossing, is monitored by more than 1,200 U.N. peacekeepers from six countries. No other military forces are allowed in the area.

There was no evidence the Syrian rebels were attempting to infiltrate Israel. The Nusra Front and other Islamists already control swaths of territory along the cease-fire lines between Israel and Syria on the Golan Heights, an Israeli spokesman said on Wednesday.

The UN's reticence about the kidnappers' identity may reflect the desire for a non-terrorist negotiating partner, such as the Islamic Front (which, although it frequently fights alongside Al Nusrah and has senior leaders who are linked to al Qaeda, has avoided a terrorist designation so far).

Incidentally, while the Islamic State has been dominating the headlines with its onslaughts in Iraq and Syria illustrated by a steady flow of decapitation videos, Al Nusrah has been conducting negotiations with the Lebanese government over the fate of 28 kidnapped Lebanese security forces. The Islamic State, which also holds some Lebanese hostages, is also involved in the negotiations.

It is important to keep in mind that Al Nusrah, which seems to be positioning itself as a 'less violent' and 'more civilized' actor than the Islamic State, remains a mortal foe of democratic forces everywhere. The use of kidnapping victims as pawns has long figured in al Qaeda's playbook.

NASA Imagery Shows a Late Summer "Flury of Flares" Bursting from the Sun

Δημοσιεύτηκε στις 1 Σεπ 2014

The sun produced a flurry of flares this week says NASA, unleashing over half a dozen solar flares in one day alone.

Full Story:

Images from NASA's Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO) showed it was a busy week on the surface of the sun. While many earthlings spent the last week of August on summer holiday, the sun began the week with an explosive mid-level flare that errupted on Sunday morning (August 24) and then continued to unleash over half a dozen more within the next two days.

The SDO captured images of the flares, which erupted on the left side of the sun from a sunspot is known as AR2151.

Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation. Harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground, however -- when intense enough -- they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel.

First Video of Tabaqa Airbase Showing Weapons Captured by ISIS Terrorists

Δημοσιεύτηκε στις 1 Σεπ 2014

A Chechen jihadist of the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant drives in the recently seized Tabaqa Military air base documenting fighter jets, guided missiles, rockets, weapons and artillery captured from the Syrian Army.

Yemen's Shia rebels vow to continue protests

Δημοσιεύτηκε στις 28 Αυγ 2014

Thousands of Yemen's Shia Houthis have promised to demonstrate in the capital on Friday, in a sign of the country's growing sectarian divide. The Houthis have accused the government of corruption, and are calling for the cabinet to be dissolved and fuel subsidies reinstated. But rival Sunni protesters have accused the rebels of masking a growing ambition of to seize power and implement a radical religious agenda backed by Iran, an accusation the movement denies. Al Jazeera's Hashem Ahelbarra reports from Sanaa.

ΤΑ ΕΓΚΩΜΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΥ ΣΤΟ ΠΑΝΣΕΠΤΟ ΘΕΟΜΗΤΟΡΙΚΌ ΜΝΗΜΑ 2014 ΣΤΗΝ ΙΕΡΟΥΣΑΛΗΜ

ΟΛΕΣ ΟΙ ΠΑΝΥΓΗΡΙΚΕΣ ΕΚΔΗΛΩΣΕΙΣ ΚΑΙ Η ΕΟΡΤΑΣΤΙΚΗ ΛΕΙΤΟΥΡΓΙΑ  ΟΠΩΣ ΓΙΟΡΤΑΣΤΗΚΕ ΦΕΤΟΣ 2014 ΣΤΗΝ ΓΙΟΡΤΗ ΤΗΣ ΚΟΙΜΗΣΕΩΣ ΤΗΣ ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΥ ΑΠΟ ΤΟ ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΕΙΟ ΣΤΗΝ ΙΕΡΟΥΣΑΛΗΜ.

Μεγάλη και παγκόσµια είναι η
σηµερινή εορτή και πανήγυρη της Παναγίας
ένδοξου, υπερευλογηµένης, δεσποίνης ηµών
Θεοτόκου και Αειπαρθένου Μαρίας.
Ολόκληρος ο Ορθόδοξος κόσµος σ’ όλα τα
µέρη της γης πανηγυρίζει την Κοίµηση και
έξοδό Της από την πρόσκαιρη αυτή ζωή και
την µετάστασή Της στον ουρανό, στην αιώνια
Βασιλεία και δόξα.
Άνθρωποι και άγγελοι συγχαίρουν και
συναγάλλονται. Τα αγγελικά τάγµατα
συγχορεύουν µε τους αγίους. Ευφραίνεται και
πανηγυρίζει η γη και οι πιστοί σπεύδουν µε
ευλάβεια και δέος να τιµήσουν την πανύµνητη
Μητέρα του Κυρίου και Σωτήρα τους. Από τα
πέρατα της γης ευλαβείς προσκυνητές µε
ιερότητα προσκυνούν τις αγίες και
θαυµατουργές εικόνες Της. Με συντριβή
καρδιάς ανοίγουν, οι πονεµένοι τις καρδιές 5
τους για να Της εκφράσουν τον πόνο τους, για
να ζητήσουν την προστασία και βοήθεια Της.
Οι πάντες θα Την µακαρίσουν, και θα Την
ανυµνήσουν, θα Την δοξάσουν. Η θεία ζωή της
Θεοτόκου υπάρχει πηγή διδαχής, έµπνευσης
και παραδειγµατισµού για όλες τις γενιές. 

ΤΑ ΕΓΚΩΜΙΑ ΣΤΗΝ ΚΟΙΜΗΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΥ (KAΘΟΔΟΣ) 1/3

14/27 ΑΥΓΟΥΣΤΟΥ 2014- ΤΑ ΕΓΚΩΜΙΑ ΣΤΗΝ ΚΟΙΜΗΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΥ 1/3 Η ΚΑΘΟΔΟΣ ΠΡΟΣ ΤΟ ΘΕΟΜΗΤΟΡΙΚΟ ΜΝΗΜΑ

Κατά την Ιερά Παράδοση της
Εκκλησίας µας «θεαρχίω νεύµατι» από τα
πέρατα της Γης αρπάχθηκαν οι θείοι
Απόστολοι και συνγκεντρώθηκαν στη Ναζαρέτ
για να παραστούν κατά την έξοδο της Μητέρας
του Θεού από τον κόσµο αυτό. Η Θεοτόκος
αντικρίζοντας τους Αποστόλους δοξολόγησε
τον Υιό Της, γιατί εισάκουσε την προσευχή και
εξεπλήρωσε την επιθυµία Της, να παρευρεθούν
οι Μαθητές και αυτόπτες µάρτυρες της
Ανάστασής Του κατά την έξοδό Της. Οι
Εβραίοι αντιλήφθηκαν την παρουσία των
Αποστόλων και των υπόλοιπων µαθητών στο
σπίτι της Θεοτόκου και µε µίσος και πάθος
συγκεντρώθηκε πλήθος κόσµου και βάδισε
κατά της οικίας της Θεοτόκου µε σκοπό να
κατακάψουν όλο το κτίριο. Τράπηκαν όµως σε
φυγή από Άγγελο Κυρίου, ο οποίος
φανερώθηκε και απέτρεψε τους ασεβείς από
τον σκοπό τους. 

14/27 ΑΥΓΟΥΣΤΟΥ 2014- ΤΑ ΕΓΚΩΜΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΚΟΙΜΗΣΕΩΣ ΤΗΣ ΥΠΕΡΑΓΙΑΣ ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΥ ΣΤΟ ΠΑΝΣΕΠΤΟ ΚΑΙ ΘΕΟΜΗΤΟΡΙΚΟ ΜΝΗΜΑ 2/3

Η Θεοτόκος προσευχήθηκε και το Άγιο
Πνεύµα µετέφερε όσους ευρίσκονταν στην
οικία Της στην Ιερουσαλήµ. Όταν έφτασε ο
καιρός της αναχώρησής Της παρακάλεσε τον
Απόστολο Πέτρο να θυµιάσει και τους λοιπούς
Αποστόλους να αρχίσουν τη ψαλµωδία. Τότε,
ενώ όλοι προσεύχονταν φάνηκαν πλήθη
Αγγέλων και στο µέσο τους ο Κύριος Ιησούς
Χριστός εν δόξη, αστράφοντας περισσότερο
από τον ήλιο. Η Αειπαρθένος Κόρη ευχαρί-
στησε τον Υιό Της για τις δωρεές που χάρισε
σ’ Αυτήν και παρακάλεσε να προστατεύει
και να χαρίζει κάθε αίτηµα σ’ εκείνους, που
µε πίστη προστρέχουν σ’ Αυτήν. Μετά από
αυτά παρέδωσε την αγία και πάναγνη ψυχή
Της στα χέρια του Σωτήρα και Θεού Της.
Το δωµάτιο και η γύρω περιοχή
πληµµύρισε από ουράνια ευωδία. Οι άγιοι
Άγγελοι υµνούσαν τον Κύριο της δόξας και
οι άγιοι Απόστολοι µε ύµνους και ψαλµούς
συνόδευαν το πάναγνο σώµα της Θεοτόκου
στον τάφο, στη Γεθσηµανή. Καθ’ οδόν ένας
Εβραίος από φθόνο κινούµενος εναντίον της
Θεοτόκου τόλµησε να ορµήσει κατά πάνω
του νεκρικού κρεβατιού, µε σκοπό να
βεβηλώσει και να ρίξει κατά γης το σώµα της
Μαρίας. Μόλις άγγιξε την κλίνη, Άγγελος 7
Κυρίου έκοψε τα δύο χέρια του ασεβούς και
κρέµονταν στην κλίνη. Ο Απόστολος Πέτρος
βλέποντας το παράδοξο αυτό σηµείο
προσευχήθηκε στην Θεοτόκο παρακαλώντας
για την αποκατάσταση των χεριών του
δυστυχούς Εβραίου. Έλαβε τα κοµένα χέρια
και µε την επίκληση του ονόµατος της
Θεοτόκου αµέσως αποκατεστάθηκαν.
Το άγιο σώµα της Μαρίας
τοποθετήθηκε στη Γεθσηµανή. Για τρία
µερόνυχτα ακούγονταν άγγελοι να υµνούν
τη Θεοτόκο. Μετά τις τρεις µέρες έπαψαν οι
ύµνοι και όταν άνοιξαν τον τάφον είδαν ότι
το σώµα της Θεοτόκου έλλειπε, γιατί
µετατέθηκε στον Παράδεισο. Σύµφωνα µε
αρχαία Παράδοση ο Απόστολος Θωµάς δεν
βρέθηκε κατά την µετάσταση της Θεοτόκου,
γιατί βρισκόταν στις Ινδίες. Την τρίτη ηµέρα
από την Κοίµηση της Μαρίας αρπάχθηκε
από σύννεφο και συναντήθηκε στους
ουρανούς µε την Θεοτόκο, η οποία του
έδωσε για ευλογία την ζώνη Της.

ΤΑ ΕΓΚΩΜΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΥ ΣΤΟ ΠΑΝΣΕΠΤΟ ΘΕΟΜΗΤΟΡΙΚΌ ΜΝΗΜΑ 3/3

Η Κοίµηση της Θεοτόκου είναι το
αποκορύφωµα της δόξας Της. Δοξάστηκε
κατά τον Ευαγγελισµό, όταν ο αρχάγγελος
Γαβριήλ ευαγγελιζόταν σ’ αυτήν τη 8
µοναδική εκλογή και Χάρη την οποία της
έκανε ο Ύψιστος Θεός, να την καταστήσει
Μητέρα του Υιού Του. Δοξαζόταν, όταν
στρατιές αγγέλων στο σπήλαιο της Βηθλεέµ
έψαλλαν δοξολογία για τη γέννηση του
µονογενούς Υιού του Θεού. Δοξαζόταν,
όταν οι ακροατές του λόγου αναφωνούσαν
«µακαρία η κοιλία η βαστάσασά σε». Αλλά,
ενώ αυτή ήταν δόξα επίγεια και ανθρώπινη, η
τωρινή υπήρξε το προοίµιο της ουράνιας
δόξας.
Η Αειπαρθένος Κόρη, η Θεοµήτωρ
Μαρία σήµερα αποκαθίσταται στη δόξα Της.
Φεύγει απ’ τον επίγειο κόσµο και πορεύεται
στα άνω βασίλεια. Άγγελοι και Αρχάγγελοι
αποτελούν την τιµητική Της συνοδεία. Η
Μητέρα του Κυρίου παρέστη ως βασίλισσα
στα δεξιά του Υιού Της «εν ιµατισµώ
διαχρύσω περιβεβληµένη, πεποικιλµένη».
Πολλά ονόµατα µεγάλων γυναικών
πέρασαν από την ανθρώπινη ιστορία στην
άβυσσο της λήθης. Πολλές βασίλισσες µε
µεγάλη δύναµη και επιρροή έσβησαν και
εξαφανίστηκαν. Το όνοµα όµως της
Αειπαρθένου Μαρίας µένει αθάνατο στους
αιώνες. Το όνοµα της Μητέρας του Θεού 9
συγκινεί, παρηγορεί και σώζει όσους µε
πίστη προστρέχουν σ’ Αυτήν. Η Εκκλησία
του Θεού σ’ όλα τα σηµεία της γης ψάλλει
εγκώµια και ύµνους στο υπερβάλλο
µεγαλείο Της. Μυριόστοµη ακούγεται η
ικετευτική δέηση των πιστών στην
πανάχραντη Μητέρα. Η προφητική ρήση
«ιδού από του νυν µακαριούσι µε πάσαι αι
γενεαί» εκπληρώνεται.

14/27 ΑΥΓΟΥΣΤΟΥ 2014 Ο ΕΣΠΕΡΙΝΟΣ ΤΗΣ ΕΟΡΤΗΣ ΤΗΣ ΚΟΙΜΗΣΕΩΣ ΤΗΣ ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΥ ΣΤΟ ΠΡΟΣΚΥΝΗΜΑ ΤΗΣ ΓΕΘΣΗΜΑΝΗ (ΠΑΝΣΕΠΤΟ ΚΑΙ ΘΕΟΜΗΤΟΡΙΚΟ ΜΝΗΜΑ), ΠΡΟΕΞΑΡΧΟΝΤΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΥ ΑΝΘΗΔΩΝΟΣ Κ ΝΕΚΤΑΡΙΟΥ.

Το ύψος και η δόξα της Θεοτόκου 
βρίσκεται στη µεγάλη ταπείνωσή Της. Είναι 
γενικός και απαράβατος νόµος, ότι για να 
ανέλθει κανείς στη δόξα του Θεού πρέπει να 
διέλθει προηγουµένως από τους στενούς 
δρόµους της ταπείνωσης. Η Θεοτόκος παρ’ 
όλο το πλήθος και τον όγκο των µεγαλείων 
Της, δεν καυχήθηκε, ούτε 
αυτοδιαφηµίσθηκε. Ήταν η συνεχώς 
ταπεινοφρονούσα Κόρη. Αλλά και 
ταυτοχρόνως η υποµένουσα Μητέρα. 
Υπήρξε µαρτυρική και τεθλιµµένη Μητέρα. 
Τον ουράνιο ευαγγελισµό ακολούθησαν οι 
άδικες του Ιωσήφ υποψίες, για να Την 
καταθλίψουν βαθύτατα. Την υπερφυή 
γέννηση του Υιού Της συνόδεψε ο 
εξοντωτικός διωγµός του Ηρώδη, για να 
καταφύγει στην Αίγυπτο. Τα θαύµατα και τις 10
επευφηµίες του λαού επακολουθούν οι 
διαβολές και οι συκοφαντίες των 
Γραµµατέων και Φαρισαίων, που χύνουν 
πικρό δηλητήριο στη µητρική Της καρδιά. Ο 
σκληρός και ατιµωτικός θάνατος του Υιού 
Της την έκανε να µαρτυρήσει. Τον 
αντίκρυσε πάνω στο Σταυρό αιµόφυρτο να 
παλεύει µε τον θάνατο. Τον προσέβλεψε 
νεκρό, γυµνό, άταφο. Ποιά οδύνη και θλίψη 
σπάραξε την µητρική Της καρδιά! Τότε 
πέρασε τη ψυχή Της «ροµφαία δίστοµος». 
Αλλ’ η Παρθένος δεν κλονίσθηκε, ούτε 
λιγοψύχησε, ούτε αγανάκτησε για την άδικη 
σφαγή του Υιού Της. Υπέµεινε καρτερικά το 
µαρτύριο Εκείνου, ως µαρτύριο δικό Της. 
Η Πανάγια Παρθένος µας δείχνει µε 
το παράδειγµά Της και παρουσιάζει τον 
οδυνηρό δρόµο της δόξας. Η ταπείνωση και 
οι θλίψεις τις οποίες υπέµεινε την ανύψωσαν 
στη δόξα Της και η ένδοξη κοίµησή Της 
άνοιξε τις πύλες του ουρανού. Αναδείχτηκε 
κόσµηµα του ουρανού, γιατί έγινε η Πύλη 
του Ουρανού. Υπήρξε η πιστή δούλη 
Κυρίου, που υπέµεινε τους φρικτούς 
ψυχικούς πόνους για τα όσα υπέµεινε ο 
Σωτήρας του κόσµου. Υπήρξε το 
παράδειγµα στους θλιβοµένους, ώστε να 11
υποµένουν. Ήταν και είναι το αιώνιο 
παράδειγµα για όλους τους νέους και τις νέες 
κάθε εποχής για ηθική τελείωση και 
αγιασμό. 
Σήµερα, οφείλουµε να εµπνευστούµε 
από την όλη προσωπικότητα της 
Αειπάρθενης Κόρης. Στις ευτυχίες και τις 
δυστυχίες µας, στις χαρές και τις λύπες µας, 
στους πόνους και τους προβληµατισµούς µας, 
ας έχουµε ως βοηθό και προστάτη την 
Υπέρµαχο Στρατηγό. Ταπείνωση και υποµονή 
στο θέληµα του Θεού ανοίγουν το δρόµο της 
αιώνιας ζωής και δόξας. Η υπερένδoξη του 
Θεού Μητέρα και των αγίων Αγγέλων 
αγιωτέρα µας προσκαλεί να συµµετάσχουµε 
στη δόξα του Θεού. Για να τιµήσουµε την 
Μητέρα του Θεού πρέπει µε την προσωπική 
µας ζωή να ενσαρκώσουµε τις αρετές Της έτσι 
θα ανεβούµε στον ουρανό βαδίζοντας τον 
δρόµο των αρετών. 

MUSIC TIME--Bridal Photoshoot: Blossom Veils by Vital Agibalow for Hensel / BRIDES M...

Location: Le Petit cafe New York 
Make Up by KATE ROMANOFF
Hair by SHINYA NAKAGAWA 
Model from MC2 Model Management NY

Σύλλογος ανάπτυξη φιλανθρωπία || διανομή γάλακτος Μπριβ γέφυρα κενών θέσεων σε άπορα παιδιά