SI
SI
discoversearch

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor.  We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community.  If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.
Politics : War -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?


To: Elmer Flugum who wrote (14124)4/26/2002 5:22:40 PM
From: goldsnow  Read Replies (2) | Respond to of 23908
 
How many Christians remain in the Middle East?

a. The largest Christian community of the Middle East is found in Egypt, which has ten to twelve million Copts. This Christian group comprises 1/5 to 1/6 of the country's population. Egypt is also a major recipient of U.S. foreign aid, despite blatant violations of religious freedom which occurs weekly in this country

yahoodi.com

In the last census conducted by the British mandatory authorities in 1947, there were 28,000 Christians in Jerusalem. The census conducted by Israel in 1967 (after the Six Day War) showed just 11,000 Christians remaining in the city. This means that some 17,000 Christians (or 61%) left during the days of King Hussein's rule over Jerusalem.



To: Elmer Flugum who wrote (14124)4/26/2002 7:09:54 PM
From: goldsnow  Read Replies (2) | Respond to of 23908
 
c. The Christians of Lebanon: about 1.5 million still reside there and more than 6 million live in the diaspora, including about a quarter of that number in the United States.

yahoodi.com

PS Len why do you think Lebanese Christians have largely left and never returned? Israeli Jews are at constant war or terror and they are still there?



To: Elmer Flugum who wrote (14124)4/27/2002 5:36:47 AM
From: GUSTAVE JAEGER  Read Replies (2) | Respond to of 23908
 
As I said, White Africa is just around the corner.... <g>

Out of Africa, Into Europe

An increasing number of tropical insects are making a new home in Europe. This is partly due to warmer European winters and increasing travel and trade.

A tiny brown insect is munching its way across Europe.

This insect, the pelargonium brown, native in South Africa, first set its tiny feet in Spain, ten years ago.

Its favourite food is the wild pelargonium, a variety of geranium.

But cultivated geraniums, which now grow in abundance in domestic gardens and on balconies are proving just as tasty as their wild counterparts for these small brown creatures.

Indeed, the pelargonium brown is munching its way up through Europe. It has already travelled half way up France.

More to come

The pelargonium brown is just one of various tropical insects to invade the European continent - the result of a sucession of relatively warm winters in recent years.

The spread of tropical insects in Europe was disclosed in a report by a French research group last month, warning that some of these travelling insects could even outstrip native species.

Filling the gap

In recent years various species of insects which were once limited to Africa have made a new home in European countries.

But as these new species travel further north, they may be set to fill an increasing gap left by diminishing, native European wildlife - also the result of a changing climate.

According to the MONARCH report (Modelling Natural Resource Responses to Climate Change), warmer weather spreading north west from Europe will extend the range of many different species of plants and animals.

But it will also reduce ranges of already vulnerable species. In Britain's northern mountain regions of Wales and Scotland, for instance, species will literally have nowhere left to go if pushed further north.

In addition, rising sea-levels are expected to cause widespread flooding of coastal habitats, endangering numerous species of plants, mammals and insects.

However, the report also says that the news is not only bad as various species of other southern butterflies will move north.

By ship, plane or wind

Tropical insects are said to have been arriving in Europe for decades, either by ship, plane or wind.

One butterfly which has managed to reach regions further north is Anatrachyntis rileyi, a rare African butterfly. It has already spread its wings in Spain and is now also well established on the French Mediterranean coast.

This is largely due to a succession of relatively mild winters, possibly caused by global warming, which have allowed these species to survive.

Scientists now fear these new species, such as the pelargonium brown, may one day oust native ones. But until this happens, the pelargonium has many geraniums to munch yet.

dw-world.de

What next?? Chimps and crocodiles?