Turkish Found Barnaba Handwritten Bible in Ankara,1,500 year-old

The Turkish minister of culture and tourism on Thursday confirmed media reports suggesting that a 1,500-year-old Bible that was discovered by Turkish police during an anti-smuggling operation in 2000 is being kept in Ankara today.

According to media reports on Thursday, the Bible was seized from a gang smuggling artifacts during a police operation in southern Turkey in 2010 and reportedly preserves its originality and many traces of the period in which it originated.

The gang was reportedly convicted of smuggling various items seized during the operation, including the Bible, and all the artifacts were kept in a safe at an Ankara courthouse. The Bible, which was reportedly kept at the courthouse for years, was only recently handed over to the care of the Ankara Ethnography Museum.

Culture and Tourism Minister Ertuğrul Günay said on Thursday that the ministry has received a copy of Bible from the Ankara courthouse which dates back to 1,500 years ago and is thought to have been written in Aramaic, the language of Jesus. He said the Bible needs restoration and it will be opened to public display after this.

The Turkish media reports also said on Thursday that the Vatican has requested that Turkey allow it to examine the 1,500-year-old Bible; however, the Vatican Embassy in Ankara denied the reports on Thursday suggesting that the Vatican had asked Turkey to examine the copy of Bible in Ankara.

The leather-bound Bible, which is said to be worth TL 40 million, was written on leather sheets and is now under protection as it is regarded as a valuable cultural asset. Even a Xerox copy of pages from the book is reported to be worth as much as TL 3-4 million.

Some media reports also said the copy of Bible in Ankara may be a copy of the much-debated Gospel of Barnabas, which Muslims claim is an original gospel that was later suppressed; the oldest copies of this gospel date back to the 16th century and are written in Italian and Spanish. However, the Gospel of Barnabas is not included in the four gospels that currently comprise the canonical New Testament -- Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

The Gospel of Barnabas contradicts the canonical New Testament account of Jesus and his ministry but has strong parallels with the Islamic view of Jesus. Much of its content and themes parallel Islamic ideas, and it includes a prediction by Jesus of the Prophet Muhammad coming to earth.

Ömer Faruk Harman, a theology professor, said scientific examinations may reveal whether the Bible in Ankara is the Gospel of Barnabas, which he said complies with the messages in Muslim holy book of Quran and is believed by Muslims to be the most original copy of Bible.

He said in line with Islamic belief, the Gospel of Barnabas treats Jesus as a human being and prophet not a God, rejects trinity and crucifixion of Jesus and includes a prediction about Prophet Muhammad’s coming to Earth. About the prospects of whether the Bible could be the Gospel of Barnabas, İhsan Özbek, a Protestant pastor, said this is unlikely because St. Barnabas lived in the first century and was one of the Apostles of Jesus, but the Bible in Ankara is said to be from the fifth or the sixth century.

“The copy in Ankara might have been written by one of the followers of St. Barbanas and since there is around 500 years in between St. Barnabas and the writing of the Bible copy [in Ankara], Muslims may be disappointed to see that this copy does not include things they would like to see and it might have no relation with the content of the Gospel of Barnabas,” said Özbek.

Aydoğan Vatandaş, a Today’s Zaman journalist and author who has written two books on the Gospel of Barnabas, said there is no clue that the Bible mentioned in the Turkish press dates back to 1,500 years ago, but he said it is sure that the Gospel of Barnabas had been written in the Aramaic language and Syriac alphabet.

“There is only one Gospel that exactly matches this definition: the ‘Gospel of Barnabas’ that was found in a cave in Uludere in Hakkari [now of Şırnak] in the early 1980s by villagers, which I told the story of first as a screenplay in 2005 for a film project, then in my novel in 2007, ‘The Secret of Gospel of Barnabas’ and my investigative journalism book, ‘Apokrifal’ in 2008.”

As a result of his research, Vatandaş said he found that this Gospel was actually preserved by the Special Armed Forces intelligence unit in the 1990s and that some parts of this Gospel were translated by an Aramaic language expert Dr. Hamza Hocagil under the control of the intelligence unit. He said Dr. Hocagil was asked to stop translating it by the Special Armed Forces when it turned out that he had shared sensitive information with journalists at the time.

“Since then we did not know where this Gospel was. After my book about the entire story of this Gospel and the criminal incidents surrounding it, the public’s interest and curiosity has increased and the Turkish military has been the target of several questions about the case. Therefore, I believe that the emergence of this Gospel again is very timely,” he said. Vatandaş also claimed that three other copies of this Gospel written by St. Barnabas are hidden in different locations in the region, so the Gospel in Ankara might be one of these as well.

Fatma Dişli Zıbak / Today's Zaman

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Another Way to Get a Headache: The LG Optimus 3D Max

LG's shown that it still thinks 3D phones are the future by unveiling yet another new phone pre-MWC. The beefed up Optimus 3D Max is the successor to the world's first 3D phone and aims to continue the headache-inducing pocket 3D experience we all know and love.

The Optimus 3D Max apparently packs "true performance muscle" - I'll leave you to make your own mind up about that one. It comes equipped with a 1.2GHz dual-core OMAP chip backed up by 1GB of RAM; 8GB of storage; a 1,520mAh battery; a dual lens five-megapixel 3D cam, and a 4.3-inch 3D WVGA display covered in the new Gorilla Glass 2.

Unfortunately the Max is saddled with Gingerbread, but it's got NFC, GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to keep you connected, while being only 9.6mm thick. LG's also touting 3D up-conversion for apps like Google Maps, Google Earth and "other road views" using an enhanced 3D converter.

The phone will be officially shown off at MWC next week, and will apparently see an upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich "shortly after launch". It'll launch in Korea in March and the rest of the world soon after. I'm not convinced 3D on phones is the answer, but if you are you'll have another option to pick from soon. [LG]

FROM : gizmodo

Japan Will Have a Space Elevator by 2050

 

It might the stuff of science fiction dreams, but a Japanese construction company has announced that it will have built a working space elevator by 2050. Where can I join the queue?

.

According to the The Daily Yomiuri, construction company Obayashi Corp has announced it will have built a space elevator capable of shuttling passengers 36,000 kilometers above the Earth by 2050.

The company plans to use carbon nanontubes, which are 20 times stronger than steel, to produce the cables required for the elevator. Those cables will be stretched to a counterweight 96,000 kilometers above our planet, about one-fourth of the distance between the Earth and the moon.

The terminal station, 36,000 kilometers above Earth, will be reached by cars that can carry 30 people and travel at 200 kilometers per hour. An Obayashi official said:

"At this moment, we cannot estimate the cost for the project. However, we'll try to make steady progress so that it won't end just up as simply a dream."

I can estimate the cost: ridiculously, needlessly expensive. But I don't much care: I mean, it's a space elevator. Whether this claim can actually become a reality is up for discussion—but they're not the only horse in the race. I just hope it happens in my lifetime. [The Daily Yomiuri; Image: Michael Evans]

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First UK Halal Islamic Car Insurance Launched to British Muslims

The shariah-compliant cover represents a watershed moment for the insurance industry.
Britain's first-ever shariah-compliant car insurance product has been launched by provider Salaam Insurance.
The product offers motor insurance which is compliant with the tenets of the Islamic faith. Therefore, the nature of halal insurance, otherwise known as takaful, differs radically from other protection products in terms of the way in which risk is apportioned.
Mainstream insurance products work by shifting the risk from the policyholder to the insurer; in other words, if the customer has a car accident, the insurer pays - having agreed to take the financial risk to insure the customer in the first place. However, under takaful, all customers pay into a single pool, otherwise known as the takaful fund.
This fund is invested, and grows in value; all claims are then paid out from this fund. Salaam also assured customers that this fund would not be invested in "un-Islamic" products such as alcohol or pork, or in interest-bearing investments, as usury is banned in Islam.
The firm claimed that the insurance will have appeal outside of the muslim community, particularly among those customers who prefer to use ethical or co-operative products.
Mr. Abdulaziz Hamad Aljomaih, Chairman of Salaam insurance commented: "The launch of Salaam insurance - the first independent, fully shariah-compliant takaful operator available in this country - is a significant step for the growth of Islamic finance in the UK."
Bradley Brandon Cross, Chief Executive of Salaam insurance, added: "It is a disgrace that the financial services industry is lagging behind when it comes to recognising the different needs of the different cultures living in modern Britain today."
Around two million muslims currently live in the UK.
Compare All Car Insurance now via money.co.uk.


Read more:  http://www.money.co.uk/article/1001048-first-uk-halal-car-insurance-launched.htm#ixzz1FVa1hubv

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Islamic car insurance available to British Muslims

28/07/2008
by Rachel Mason

The car insurance needs of Britain's two million Muslims can now be met following the launch of Salaam Halal Insurance.

The UK's first insurance provider dedicated to "providing insurance tailored to meet the needs and beliefs of the British Muslim community", Salaam Insurance's products have been designed to comply with Shariah law.

Shariah law, which is the term used to describe the rules that govern the Muslim way of life, prohibits receiving or paying interest, gambling and speculation, uncertainty, exploitation, unfairness and any connection to Haram activities or products (the consumption of alcohol or pork) while requiring risk and reward sharing, fairness and transparency and sanctity of contracts.

Due to the fact that car insurance is a legal requirement in the UK and insurance companies take on all of the risk for all of the reward, Muslims have been forced to compromise their beliefs in order to company with UK law.

But now, thanks to the launch of Salaam Halal Insurance, that is no longer the case because Salaam Halal offers insurance protection by using the Islamic principle of Takaful. Takaful literally means ‘guaranteeing each other’ so, instead of paying premiums, policyholders of car insurance provided by Salaam Halal agree to 'guarantee each other' and make contributions (Tabaru’a) to a Takaful Fund.

The pooled contributions are invested in Shariah-compliant investments and any investment profits are distributed back to the Takaful Fund. The fund is used to pay claims, and at the end of the year, if the Takaful Fund is over-funded it is then distributed back to Policyholders.

Bradley Brandon Cross, chief executive of Salaam Insurance, added: "It is a disgrace that the financial services industry is lagging behind when it comes to recognising the different needs of the different cultures living in modern Britain today.

"The face of Britain is changing and it is the responsibility of British institutions to cater for such changes and welcome diversity.

"Salaam insurance is the first insurance provider to offer Muslims living in the UK a choice which gives Muslims the best of both worlds - a good deal on their insurance which is in harmony with their faith."

Islamic mortgages and loans are already available in the UK, and although Salaam Insurance is only offering car insurance to begin with, it plans to offer a home insurance policy soon.

Abdulaziz Hamad Aljomaih, chairman of Salaam insurance said, "The launch of Salaam insurance - the first independent, fully Shariah-compliant Takaful operator available in this country - is a significant step for the growth of Islamic finance in the UK."

©Fair Investment Company Ltd

Why you need your auto insurance

Why you need your auto insurance?  insurance purchased for cars, trucks, and other road vehicles. Its primary use is to provide financial protection against physical damage and/or bodily injury resulting from traffic collisions and against liability that could also arise there from .

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What a comeback! Eleven months after the tsunami ravaged Japan, a series of pictures reveals the incredible progress being made to clear up the devastation

When Japan was hit by both an earthquake and tsunami in quick succession in March last year, the images of devastation gripped the world.

And now after 11 months of tireless rebuilding, these pictures reveal the amazing progress made since those tragic events.

Photographers returned to the scenes of desolation to take these stunning shots that capture the way in which the areas most severely affected have changed.

Houses crumbled either side of this main road in the tsunami-hit area of Ofunato, Iwate but ongoing efforts have cleared the debris - and despite the nearest homes on either side being pulled down, many of the other buildings were salvaged

In March, Yuko Sugimoto was photographed wrapped with a blanket standing in front of debris looking for her son in the tsunami-hit town of Ishinomaki. Below, the same housewife stands with her five-year-old son Raito at the same place

One picture shows Yuko Sugimoto standing with her five-year-old son Raito and the newly cleared main road in Ishinomak.

The housewife had been photographed in the midst of the chaos last year wrapped in a blanket as she frantically searched for him in the debris.

She was one of thousands of people left desperately searching through all the rubble as the disaster claimed the lives of more than 19,000 and left thousands more missing.

Rubble: Collapsed buildings and rubble in Kesennuma in Miyagi had made this corner impossible to get through but the impressively swift clean up has left the same corner accessible to traffic

Pile up: cars had piled up in front of the airport control tower in Sendai on after the tsunami but has since been totally transformed

The pictures illustrate how, in some cases, homes had to be pulled down as part of the rebuild, whilst in other areas piles of cars, rubbish and even planes and boats needed to be hauled away.

Further south, the tsunami also touched off a nuclear crisis when it slammed into the Fukushima Dai-ichi power plant, forcing about 100,000 people to flee their homes.

Disposing of all the debris - an estimated 23 million tons - was a huge headache but authorities have been working tirelessly to clean up the mess left by the chaos.

The scene in Tagajo, Miyagi prefecture before and after the rebuild operation

All change in Rikuzentakata, Iwate prefecture, as seen on March 22, 2011 and January 15, 2012

Rebuild: Cars and even a plane cluttered up the Sendai Airport in Natori, Miyagi but after an intense clean up the fenced off airport is now back in service

More work to do: Back in March last year a rescue worker wades through rubble in the tsunami hit area of Minamisanriku, Miyagi, and although the area has largely been cleared tyres and gas canisters have since been dumped there

Before and after clean-up shots of Rikuzentakata, Iwate prefecture

Residents of the tsunami-hit area of Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture seen last March, and this January

The city of Kesennuma is seen after the clear-up last month

A hill overlooking the city of Kesennuma and the same area on January 14 this year

The Japanese cabinet had to approve almost $50billion worth of spending on post-earthquake reconstruction - the country's biggest building project since the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs.

The emergency budget was followed by more spending packages and is still dwarfed by the overall cost of damage caused by the earthquake and tsunami, estimated at more than $300 billion.

The earthquake destroyed tens of thousands of homes and smashed a nuclear power plant which began leaking radiation, a situation the plant is still managing.

Chaos: In Ishonomaki, Miyagi a boat washed up in to the middle of this street bringing down pylons and buildings and although the building nearest to the camera on the left needed to be pulled down all the other buildings were repaired

Back to normality: Cars are able to come and go through this bridge in Hishonomaki, Miyagi less than a year after a washed up boat prevented anyone from using the road

Major project: A number of areas like this site Natori, near Sendai required large scale operations to clear them of the debris which seemed never ending

In March four people take to the area of Rikuzentakata, Iwate unsure where to begin after it was devastated by rubble but 11 months on the whole area has been cleared leaving just a cross roads in the centre

Amazing transformation after a road is cleared of debris in Tagajo, Miyagi prefecture

From : daily mail