Masons light up India - literally

From the Times of India...

AHMEDABAD: For the first time, nights in this remote, dim village, 220-km from Ahmedabad will see light on Sunday. The 45 tribal families in Nalwas village, of Amiragadh taluka in Banaskantha will experience a lit-up house. The Freemasons of Lodge Fellowship, Ahmedabad has taken up the solar electrification of Nalwas. The project is part of Grand Lodge of India's initiative to light up 50 remote villages across India.

Nalwas has a population of 250 people who survive by tilting their small patches of land. The village doesn't have a proper access road. One has to walk kilometres to reach the village. In fact, the three youths of the village who have recently got cellphones, have to travel more than 20 km, which includes 5 km of tracking, to charge their phones. "We selected the village as the tribals were totally disconnected and had no life after 5 pm," said Rajiv Sethi, assistant regional grand master.

Hero killed

Among this auction lot is a Masonic jewel. It is very sad because the medals come with a letter from the soldier's chaplain explaining how he was killed while getting out of his trench in World War One.

It is being sold by Thomas Rodick and Medcalf in Carlisle and the description reads: "Pte. A. Charlton. Ches. R.; Death Plaque named to Arthur Charlton. With chaplain’s letter explaining how he was killed by shell fire exiting his trench. Also 2 photos of him, a Masonic jewel, & a filligree crowned Maltese Cross."

It is estimated to sell for about £100.

Al-Qaeda targets Fremasonry

From the National Post

As if it wasn't enough that they want to blow up all the "Crusaders" and "Zionists," now al-Qaeda has apparently chosen a new target: Freemasons.

A "secret" Canadian intelligence study newly released to the National Post describes how Islamist conspiracy theorists have seen the enemy and it is Freemasonry.

Islamist extremists and the Freemasons is the actual title of a Canadian Security Intelligence Service intelligence assessment distributed in December 2009.

It says extremist ideologues have taken Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code and the Nicolas Cage film National Treasure as evidence of a conspiracy against Islam.

They have been telling youths that Freemasons are: anti-Muslim; have close ties to Israel; and have been conducting secret paramilitary operations in Europe.

While most rational thinkers can tell fact from fiction, CSIS warns that we should not have such high expectations for the cave-dwelling sages at al-Qaeda HQ.

"It is easy to dismiss belief in an all-powerful Freemasonry movement as akin to conspiracy theories prevalent on the Internet, fed by popular films and literature," it says.

"It is important to underscore, however, that these theories are consistent with the Islamist extremist common narrative: in this light, the Freemasons are believed to be taking part in attacks against Islam.

"This portrayal can serve as a useful contribution to the radicalization process.. Freemasons are thus seen as another of 'Islam's enemies' and their actions, real or not, used as justifications to respond with violence."

Manx Aprons

These interesting aprons are being sold by Murray's Ltd on the Isle of Man on April 27.

Parchment painting

This is a large double-sided circular Masonic parchment painting, according to the auction house selling it. It is titled "Peace and Plenty the reward of Temperance." The name attched is JOHN E LITTLEBOY and it is dated 1908. It is estimated tos ell for up to £160 when it is sold by Willingham Auctions in Cambridge.

Conspiracy theory from Iran

From the Iranian students' news agency...

The Secretary General of Iran's Olympic Committee Bahram Afsharzadeh said on Monday a freemasonry organization has designed London Olympic Games logo.

"We had to show protest against the measure. We intend to write a letter to Asian Olympic Council to call for them to follow up on the issue more seriously," he told ISNA.

The logo rcarried the word of "Zion". Some Muslim nations objected the issue after the symbol was unveiled, but objections were snubbed by local officials of the summer games and International Olympic Committee.

Afsharzadeh added some British people and different organizations in the country protested against the symbol as well.

"This is the first time that it has happened in the history of Olympic. Zionists have exercised influence in Britain and based on our information, designer of the summer games' logo has been a Zionist organization linked to freemasons," he said.

Charming!

This charm bracelet with masonic emblems is coming up for sale at Bonhams in London with an estimate of £400.