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Post by Ignatius on Jan 10, 2008 20:11:38 GMT -5
Istanbul Ottoman Caliphate
"So... Those damned Romans have finally taken note of our... grievances?"
Caliph Abu-Ghazeed Omar II grinned softly at the news his foreign minister, a venerable gray-haired Turk, as he sat up from his evening prayers. The news of the Romans' decision to completely freeze all forms of diplomatic and economic contact with the Caliphate hardly came as a shock to the nation (having had minimal economic affairs in the West anyway), and did little more than feed the anti-Western sentiment within Istanbul to a frenzy. Naturally distrustful of any sort of Western influence, Omar's Caliphate largely did business with Middle-Eastern and African Nations, with several large partners in South America and Asia. A massive economic powerhouse in the East, the Caliphate had been focusing its attentions largely on improving the quality of life for Muslims around the globe, supplying the largest amounts of foreign aid to growing Islamic nations in Eastern Africa and South Asia.
"Yes sir..." mumbled Omar's Foreign Minister, bowing respectfully at the ornately robed Caliph, "The West foolishly believes that we have a desire to 'maintain' ties with their nations, and vastly underestimates the strength of our nation and people."
"Great Caliph... It has come to my attention that the Romans may be turning their greedy eyes upon 'colonizing' Somalia, a nation which is currently undergoing a period of Islamic revolution with our 'Word Bearer' contact poised to finally unite the warring tribes under one Islamic banner.. Naturally, we cannot allow the infidel to suppress our own brethren.."
"Yes... Yes..." muttered the Caliph, his eyes burning with hatred at the very thought of the infidel Catholics yet again sticking their noses into an area which didn't involve them, "Rome will naturally try to gain control of Somalia, but will find that bringing down a faithful people to their knees won't be as easy as they believe it to be.. Just look at the Americans..."
"No matter.. Our primary objective is restoring Islamic rights within Bosnia-Herzengovina and preventing the 'C.I.A.' and 'MI6' from interfering too much into our plans.. Let the Romans be sucked into Somalia, our business is within Rome's boundaries.."
"Inform our contacts in Bosnia-Herzengovina to be exceedingly on watch for Roman or American infiltrators, and to be wary of the traitor Serbs licking the ass of the tiny Roman elite in that province... The Infatida will not begin yet.. Not until all the parts of the machine are in place..." ============================ Official Announcement from the Ottoman Caliphate
The Ottoman Caliphate immediately recognizes the validity of Abu Farrah's claim to be the rightful head of the Islamic Republic of Somalia, and officially announces its support of the Islamic Revolutionary Front's rightful struggle against the forces of anarchy and disunity in Somalia. Somalia has suffered much under the rule of the local warlords of the region and the intervention of meddling Westerners, and must be reunited under the rightous rule of an Islamic Republic.
Humanitarian aid will be sent to Somalia by the Ottoman Caliphate, and a tiny Ottoman Peacekeeping force will see to the reconstruction of Eastern Somalia (Farrah's territory).
- Caliph Abu-Ghazeed Omar II, Caliph of Istanbul
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Post by Porcu on Jan 11, 2008 17:39:15 GMT -5
SarajevoBosnia and HerzegovinaLapo awoke to the sound of Luigi snoring and having not yet become accustomed to the older man's dull roar. He tried to go back to sleep, as his alarm clock had not yet rung but quickly gave up. Undoing the small zipper on the side of the sleeping bag, Lapo exited and promptly began to dress himself, making sure to give Luigi a good kick. Luigi grunted, turning around to see who would dare bother him before he needed to start his day. Seeing Lapo standing before him, half-dressed in Muslim rags half-dressed in Western clothing, he simply giggled a little before turning over. It was almost 6 AM and Luigi's fruit and vegetable stand did not need to be open until 8. Lapo, on the other hand, keeping the disguise of a young pious Muslim, had to attend the first prayers of the day at the local mosque. Lapo quickly gazed over the apartment before he headed out and laughed to himself when he saw the American sprawled out on the bed. Making his way down the dimly lit streets he was glad that he was disguised as a Muslim, for once he crossed over into the Muslim section of Sarajevo there would be no telling what misfortune would come to him had he been dressed regularly. Walking for several blocks before arriving to his mosque he made sure to take off his shoes at the entrance and then progress into the mosque. Almost no other souls were in sight, some elderly men scattered here and there along with maybe one other youngster. Settling in, Lapo began his prayers and when he was finished some time later he slowly made his way to the exit, however on his way out he accidentally bumped shoulders with another man. "Excuse me...", Lapo muttered in Arabic turning around slightly so that he could see who he had bumped. "Allah's peace be upon you...", replied the man gazing right back at Lapo. Lapo immediately recognized the man to be non other than Izetbegovia. Bowing slightly Lapo wished to try and see if he could further insert himself into the Bosnian Army Faction. "I'm so sorry...I wasn't paying attention...", Lapo said slowly turning his eyes up to gauge Izetbegovia's reaction. "Calm down...What were you doing here so early?", Izetbegovia asked. "I was praying", Lapo responded resuming a normal upright position. Izetbegovia's eyes seemed to light up. "Well, I must say that I have not seen someone as devout as you in some time. Why so pious?" "My uncle has recently paid to bring me here and help run his business and so I wish to thank Allah for the blessings he has given me..." "Who is your uncle?" "Aarif...He runs a fruit and vegetable stand." "I believe I may have met him before, good Muslim himself...", Izetbegovia said trailing off at the end. "Yes, both my uncle and I have heard about your speech later on today and will both be there to hear you speak..." "Excellent. What is your name again?" "Kalim" "Well, Kalim I must go and prepare for this evening. I expect to see your face in the crowd..." Lapo smiled as Izetbegovia placed his hand on his shoulder, shaking it a little before turning and entering the mosque. Lapo quickly turned and began to make his way back toward the apartment. Gazing at his watch and seeing that it was almost 7:30 he decided that it might be easier to wait for Luigi in front of his little shop and stand...
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Post by Ignatius on Jan 11, 2008 18:41:39 GMT -5
Bosnia and Herzegovina Sarajevo
Awaken by the blaring alarm of the cheap plastic alarm clock that he had purchased in Rome, C.I.A. Agent Jack Wade rose from his bed spewing an enormous amount of English obscentities through his foul mouth, rudely waking up the other Roman MI6 agent he was boarding with. Scratching his pot belly slowly with his right hand, Wade slowly made his way to the tiny bathroom the three men shared in the apartment room, toothbrush hand. After briefly glancing at his less-than flattering profile in the mirror (his age was beginning to show with a pot-belly and thinning hair), the American went to work scrubbing away at his teeth, using a liberal amount of toothpaste to rid himself of the sick taste that had accumulated in the back of his throat.
"Oh my god..." muttered the American, stopping in mid-brush, "What in god's name is that?"
In all of Wade's years in the intelligence service, Jack Wade had never seen a spectacle quite like this in the field of duty, and was utterly flabbergasted to see a woman's make-up and hair kit on the bathroom's porcelain vanity. Knowing full well that the younger guinea (as Wade usually called the Romans) was the only one who could have possibly brought such a thing into the apartment, Wade was nonetheless shocked at the possibility of having a "queer" living right next to him. A bigoted old geezer from the American "Bible Belt", Wade was (like most Americans) extremely wary of the customs and mannerisms of most Europeans, believing that the mortal sins of sodomy and homosexuality originated from "those European queers".
"Jesus Christ..." hissed Wade, setting his toothbrush down and immediately starting out of the bathroom, "I knew it..."
Without even speaking to the older Roman glaring at him from the bed opposite to his, Wade promptly shoved whatever equipment he needed into his briefcase, being careful to add a small black bible. Not knowing exactly what he was doing, the American strapped the tiny .38 caliber snub revolver into a chest holster concealed in his wrinkled "missionary suit", a rare event in the history of Wade's intelligence career. Scowling several times as he looked at his convincing disguise through a mirror, the American nodded respectfully at the remaining man before heading off through the hotel room's front door.
There was still a lot of work to do, and Wade had yet to set up an observation position overlooking the location where the massive anti-government rally was scheduled to take place. No doubt, he would have to restrain his Serbian contacts from making any "foolish moves" on their hated ethnic enemies...
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Post by Porcu on Jan 12, 2008 14:12:40 GMT -5
OOC: I'm going to try to get the nation I just created into the mix of things...Iggy the final decision will be up to you...Everyone please look at the factfile for questions regarding history and/or government
IC:
Premier Felix Hamrin sat in his office overlooking the St. John River, which ran through the capital of Woodstock, and finally decided that it was time for the Socialist Commonwealth of Schiermannhoven to stretch out and engage with the other nations of the world.
Having limited contact and trade with other nations the main trading partner of the Socialist Commonwealth had been Canada ever since the Commonwealth's creation. While certainly not very economically strong, Hamrin knew that in order to expand the borders of his nation he needed a partner that could help him into the international spot light.
It had been a long kept secret of who exactly had initially supplied Schiermannhoven and not even the party leaders knew. However, an accord had been made between Schiermannhoven and his supporter that in the future the favor would need to be repaid. Now Schiermannhoven has been dead for at least 20 years and it was through the Premiership that the secret remained intact. Through a solemn accord the old Premier would reveal the secret to the new Premier, keeping it to themselves either until a new Premier came or until the favor was asked to be repaid. Now was that time...
Picking up the red phone on the corner of his desk Premier Hamrin was directly connected to the government of the Ottoman Caliphate. As far as Hamrin knew this was the first time the red phone, specifically, was being used and after a few rings the Caliph himself responded.
"Caliph...Felix Hamrin here, I have received your message and wish to finally settle this agreement of ours...I wish for the Socialist Commonwealth to move passed old ties and now is the time that I am able to repay the Commonwealth's debt to your nation in the name of Alexander Schiermannhoven..."
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Post by Ignatius on Jan 12, 2008 15:16:48 GMT -5
Istanbul Ottoman Caliphate
Caliph Abu-Ghazeed Omar II had been enjoying the comforts of his private garden house in Istanbul (located just behind the gigantic Ottoman Palace) when a totally unexpected call brought his attention away from the beautiful rows of Anatolian lilacs and to a gold-plated telephone positioned in the center of his garden house's sun room. Knowing full well that the antique telephone was used only in very rare occasions, Omar slowly moved his person to the aging piece of equipment, lifting up the object to his ear in a mixture of feverish anticipation and utter joy.
"Caliph...Felix Hamrin here, I have received your message and wish to finally settle this agreement of ours...I wish for the Socialist Commonwealth to move passed old ties and now is the time that I am able to repay the Commonwealth's debt to your nation in the name of Alexander Schiermannhoven..."
After period of almost fifty years, the Socialist Commonwealth had finally decided to pay back the monstrous debt they owed to the Ottoman Caliphate, one of which was a closely guarded secret from the rest of the world by both parties. While the ordinary person would balk at the possibility of a historic connection between the fundamentalist Ottomans and atheist Schiermannhoven, the quiet partnership between both parties was one of great strength, with the Ottomans supplying much-needed financial and economic aid to the Socialist Commonwealth during their struggle for independence against Canada. Despite their differences, Omar's predecessor (Caliph Hussein Taijan) saw the potential of an Ottoman-friendly nation in the "heathen" Americas, and promptly decided to support Schiermannhoven's "Socialist Experiment" in hopes of one day gaining an ally against the corruptive forces of Western materialism and greed.
Apparently, Taijan was correct in his thinking..
"Greetings... Premier Hamrin." purred the Caliph, stroking his beard thoughtfully as he gripped the telephone, "It's been a long time since both our predecessors spoke... and I trust there has been little love lost between our two peoples... We do, after all, have a historic tie which defies all conventional thinking..."
The Caliph paused for several minutes as he listened to the other man's words through the gold-plated phone, grinning at what the gentleman had to say. Hamrin's timing had been perfect, with the call reaching Omar just as he was making important business transactions with his esteemed "business partner", Philip J. Knight, in Africa.
"Yes... Yes..." muttered Omar, "I did call for you several days ago, my friend, and I, too, am interested in fulfilling Schiermannhoven's pledge to my country...."
"As you may well enough know, Premier Hamrin... Just several days ago the meddlesome Roman Senate announced the complete end of all economic transactions between the SPQR and Ottoman Caliphate, a meaningless gesture which only serves as a half-hearted slap to our faces by the fools in in Rome.. Despite the fact that our economy is hardly affected by Rome's decision, this declaration makes the task of 'supplying' our friends' cause in Bosnia-Herzegovina very difficult, as Ottoman ships cannot pass into Roman waters without major incident..."
"This, my good friend, is where your nation comes in... There are huge quantities of weapons, equipment, and 'sensitive' articles I have recieved from my massive contracts with K.I. that must reach the Bosnian Army Faction's hands... and knowing full well that you are a relatively neutral nation with little perceived threat to the SPQR, I respectfully ask that you help us in this 'gun running' venture with the use of your 'neutral' trade vessels..."
"If you agree to help us with this task, I can assure you that your country's debt to mine will be fulfilled, and that the Ottoman Caliphate will readily back any S.C.S. policy with favorable political, economic, and/or military options...."
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Post by Dark Archon on Jan 13, 2008 0:18:03 GMT -5
To the Ottoman Caliphate,
The United Reich would like to improve relations with your nation. Our formal reports and statements have been provided to us by improper means. We would like to meet with your head of government to discuss a possible friendship or trade agreement.
Fuhrer Lucian
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Post by Porcu on Jan 13, 2008 15:58:50 GMT -5
To The Government of the SPQR, As the leader of a relatively young nation I have come to the conclusion that it is time for my nation to expose itself to what the world has to offer. Your nation, of course, is included and I would be honored if trade between our two nations could commence immediately, bringing prosperity and opportunity to our citizens. Felix Hamrin Premier of the Socialist Commonwealth of Schiermannhoven ================================================== To Premier Felix Hamrin of the Socialist Commonwealth, After prompt discussion and a vote I am pleased to announce on behalf of the Senate and People of Rome that your offer has been accepted. Princeps Senatus Richard Nixon will travel to Woodstock this coming weekend to sign and finalize the trade agreement. Consul Marcus Cicero *Wax Seal of the SPQR* ================================================= SarajevoLuigi's Fruit Stand[/b] "Hello Uncle", Lapo said in Arabic already comfortably established in his disguise as he made his way over to the small store and stand that Luigi was beginning to set up. "Good morning, Kalim...Can you help me with this?", Luigi responded trying to carry a crate full of bananas. Lapo helped him move around and unpack several crates before Luigi had his clever disguise up and running. "You won't believe what happened this morning..." Luigi then recounted the entire incident that transpired that morning with Jack Wade. Beginning when Wade awoke suddenly because of the alarm to when he stormed out of the apartment, not even wishing to speak to Luigi as Wade muttered obscenities incessantly and nearly without comprehension. "I think it's because he found the woman's wig and make-up in the bathroom. Funny thing is that I didn't have a chance to tell him that it belonged to the apartment's former resident, but I doubt he would have believed me. We really should consider throwing that stuff out because it's starting to bother me as well...", Luigi said abruptly ending the conversation as several Muslim women, heavily covered in black robes and garments, came up to the store. Lapo said that they would meet later that night in front of the Yellow Mosque as he left Luigi to advertise his batch of fruit...
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Post by Ignatius on Jan 14, 2008 22:01:28 GMT -5
Saint Andrew's Orthodox ChurchSarajevo"Have courage my sons...." muttered Archbishop Pelus Demosente, the head Bishop at Sarajevo's largest Orthodox Church, "God will guide your hands and hearts today, and his work shall be done..." Raising the silver incense burner up towards the massive Coptic Cross emblazoned on the ceiling of the majestic structure, Archbishop Demosente stared quietly at the twelve black-clad Serbian "Orthodox" prostrating themselves humbly before the main altar, watching as every man uttered their prayers to Christ in the Serbian language. While Roman Catholicism was "officially" the dominant religion in the SPQR (proclaimed by the Pope), there was nonetheless an enormous following of Orthodox Christianity in the Balkans and Greece, with the vast majority of Serbs and Croats in the area swearing their loyalty not to the Roman Papacy, but to their own respective Orthodox Bishops in the area. Years of living under "Roman" rule had stirred much resentment in the people of the Balkans, with the Muslims not being the only faction vying for influence in the region. Ethnic, religious, and political tensions had existed between the Bosnians and Serbians within Bosnia-Herzegovina for centuries, with both sides still bearing grudges against each other. Moving slowly towards the crucified effigy of Jesus Christ dangling from a smaller, but easily noticeable Coptic Cross on the altar, the Archbishop solemnly prayed through his Orthodox rosary, whispering praises to god and the risen one as he stared reverently at the figure. After what seemed like a lifetime, the shadowy figures rose from behind the Archbishop and bowed for one last time toward the majestic Orthodox altar before picking up the AK-47 assault rifles positioned upright on the oak pews. Yanking back the arming lever of the firearm, the leader of the armed group “crossed” himself reverently as he saluted the cross before him, slinging the loaded weapon on his back. Pulling a black balaclava over his pale face, the Serb calmly checked over his “kit”, making sure all his magazines and weapons were held firmly in place by the military harness he wore over his black clothes. Knowing full well that the possibility for death was very high, the young Serb nonetheless knew of how important the “Crusade” was to the Serbian people in the Balkans, and believed that the death of the Bosnian Army Faction and Muslim Councils’ heads (soon to be present in the mass government demonstration) would result in the prevention of another perceived race-war between both sides. “Let us leave, brothers in Christ…” spoke the young man in Serbian, “We have work to do…” Nodding silently to Archbishop Demosente, the dozen men exited the Church through a rarely-used side door where two black, unmarked vans awaited their arrival. Sliding open the doors, the Serbs hastily hopped into their vehicles, looking over the massive quantities of additional weapons and explosives they had brought along for “the job”. Tapping the shoulder of the driver of the van, the leader of the Serbs spurred his group onward to their next objective, knowing full well that this operation would most likely be a one-way trip. ===================================== Sarajevo Moving quickly through the bustling sidewalks outside the Yellow Mosque, C.I.A. agent Jack Wade managed to make his way to his specified over watch point without attracting too much attention. As the lead spotter for the MI6 agents on the ground, Wade had complete control over the actions of the joint C.I.A.-MI6 mission, and would relay his orders through the radio command set stashed away in his briefcase. “Hello friend.” greeted Wade cockily to a Muslim Bosnian, “Would you like to abandon your heathen ways and accept the one true Christ? Don’t worry, I’m a Baptist. We don’t do that Catholic bullshit.” Bewildered at Wade’s blunt invitation, the Bosnian walked off without a word, leaving the American to snicker over the comment. Years of living alongside the bible-thumpers of South Carolina obviously came in handy.. Continuing his walk, Wade hastily crossed the bustling street, soon coming upon a yellow door on a large derelict building directly opposite the Yellow Mosque’s massive field filled with anti-government protestors. Walking through the hallways of the abandoned building, the American laboriously climbed several flights of stares before finding a favorable lookout position near the top of the structure, one which conveniently gave him a bird’s eye view of the Yellow Mosque. Falling to the ground, the C.I.A. operative fumbled around the floor attempting to loose several floorboards, eventually finding a well-sized “package” stowed away underneath four rotting planks. Slicing the parcel open with his Sicilian switchblade, the American swiftly discovered an entire binocular set (with tripod) compacted inside a black box, with the parts to an Accuracy International AW chambered in .338 magnum beside it. Wasting no time in assembling both pieces of equipment near the window of his over watch position, Wade carefully thumbed ten .338 cartridges into the magazine of the AW, pushing the bolt of the powerful sniper rifle forward to lock the first round into place. Fumbling around with his communication equipment in his briefcase, Wade casually placed the earpiece and mouthpiece of the com-link onto his graying scalp, flicking the switch of the com-link to turn the item on. Through his earpiece, the American could easily hear the conversations of the two Romans down below, and caught several unwelcome words about himself before snapping loudly to announce his presence. “All right, guys…” snapped Wade, “I can hear you…” “Izetbegovina should be giving his speech in about five to ten minutes… I suggest you get your rear ends onto the front yard of the Yellow Mosque during that time….”
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Post by Canton Rouge on Jan 15, 2008 17:54:37 GMT -5
Sarajevo
Petyr Pricip found himself in what he thought was the greatest spot he could find to listen to Izetbegovina's speech. As a member of the moderate Bosnian Nationalist faction, he supported independence from the SPQR, but rather instead of violence, the Bosnian Nationalists did it through the political way of gathering support and pressing their issue to the Roman Senate. Of course, because the faction wasn't that strong, there would be no way to push the issue through in time.
He remembered the orders he got before he set out. "Just get any info about Izetbegovina trying to use extreme measures for a free Bosnia. No need to get into bloodshed. That'll be for the assassin." Of course, Pricip didn't know what he meant by assassin, and he figured that he might as well forget about it.
Pricip finally grabbed a small recorder, moved over to a nearby loudspeaker, turned on the recorder, and tested to make sure it was working. When his voice played back, Pricip sighed in relief, rewound the recorder, and waited. Of course, he didn't want to wait any longer than needed, especially considering all of the radical Croats edging him on. Pricip ignored them, and turned his attention back to the Yellow Mosque. He knew that the speech would be coming very soon, and he wanted to make sure he didn't miss any of it...
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Post by Porcu on Jan 15, 2008 19:55:02 GMT -5
Sarajevo Front Yard of the Yellow Mosque
Luigi and Lapo had been enjoying what was a great conversation up until "Mr. CIA" decided to ruin their fun. Quickly holding back any laughter that was fighting its way out of their mouths they looked at each other and began to make their way towards the front of the mosque.
Time seemed to be crawling along, every second like a minute and every minute like an hour. A sizable crowd had gathered and if one were to look all across the mosque's front yard they could easily identify Serbs and Bosnians, Orthodox and Muslim alike. After a few minutes of pushing by the other people that had gathered to hear Izetbegovia Luigi and Lapo finally attained their goal. Nothing now separated them from the wooden stage that was quickly erected in order to better disperse Izetbegovia's message among the hundreds of followers and interested people.
The small conversations between the hundreds of people quickly stopped and one could hear a pin drop with the absence of noise when Izetbegovia took the stage. After a moment of absolute silence the heavily Muslim crowd erupted into cheers...
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Post by Ignatius on Jan 16, 2008 20:30:50 GMT -5
Sarajevo
Majestically moving towards the podium of the hastily constructed wooden platform with an overwhelmingly graceful glow about him, the grizzled old Bosnian struck an imposing sight in the olive-drab military uniform of the Bosnian Army Faction, with his thick graying beard and long hair making him fit the part of an anti-government revolutionary just fine. A long, red scarf adorned the neck of Izetbegovia and accented his heavily-scarred face from the rest of his body in a magnificent manner. The Muslim crowd, awed by the charismatic presence this one man carried throughout the area, acted as if an electric shock ran through the air, and immediately let out a surprisingly potent roar which echoed throughout the Yellow Mosque.
Blasted in the face by the full force of hundreds of thousands of Bosnians assembling in the outer yard of the massive Yellow Mosque, Alija Izetbegovia continued onward to the podium without any slowing of pace, eventually stopping in front of the black microphone positioned on the piece of furniture. Coughing lightly in a dignified manner, the Bosnian then turned his fiery steel eyes toward the faces of the tens of thousands of demonstrators positioned in the vicinity of the Yellow Mosque, and opened his mouth to utter what would become famous words.
"Bosnians, Muslims, Friends!" spoke Izetbegovia, his words carrying over the crowd of thousands with the aid of a microphone, "For an many a year to be counted, we have been dominated by a malevolent and dark scourge which has its black fingers gripping our homeland.. Oppressed by this foreign elite which so blatantly exerts its power over us; treating us as a conquered, second-class people, it has taxed our homes and mosques without even granting us a say in such affairs, robbing our homeland of its right to manage the affairs of its own people!"
"For too many years, my friends," continued Izetbegovia, shaking his fist in the air, "This entity has wrung the sweat from our brows, robbed our children of the bread of our labor, all for the maintenance of a self-rightous Pontiff in Rome and a government that we have no say in! The Romans, aided by the backstabbing Serb collaborators, have dared to declare the land of Bosnia-Herzegovina part of a 'Catholic' Republic, and lord over us now as the fat and greedy elite which still refuses to give us, the Muslim majority, the right to self-governance!"
"This so-called 'Republic' has forced our young men into servitude in the godless legions of Rome," added the man, speaking in Bosnian, "to uphold order in lands that we have never seen, and fight men that we have no qualms over! This so-called 'Republic' have injustly taxed our mosques and places of worship to help pay for the fine luxuries of the Pope in Vatican City, and the salaries of the Senators of the SPQR! Shall we resign ourselves to this fate?"
"No!" bellowed the crowd of angry Bosnians, shaking their fists in the air.
"NO!!!" thundered Izetbegovia, replying in kind, "Bosnia-Herzegovina is a land whose demographics consists of 85% 'ethnic' (and Islamic) Bosnian, 13% 'Orthodox' Serbian, and a measly 8% Roman Catholic Croatian.. This land is ours by right, and neither the Pope in Rome, nor the hubris-stricken old hacks speaking in Senate can claim it as a part of their 'Catholic' Republic!"
Shaking his head sadly, the Bosnian looked towards the slowly setting horizon of the Balkan landscape, watching the final golden streams of light slowly fade from the darkening sky. By now, several 'Roman' news crews had scrambled onto the scene to capture the makings of Izetbegovia's epic speech, and Izetbegovia appeased the camera lenses of their broadcasts by turning his head toward the hefty objects.
"I call upon the Roman Senate," spoke Izetbegovia calmly, staring at the cameras, "to cease their filthy policy of 'minority' rule in Bosnia-Herzegovina by immediately declaring the said territory a 'semi-autonomous' region of the 'Roman Republic'. There is little reason for Bosnian or Serb, Croat or Roman to fight over an issue so clearly supported by the overwhelming majority of people, and I am prepared to come to terms with the Senate on Bosnia's right to self-rule.."
"If these old men refuse, however, I will have no qualms in resisting Roman rule in our lands till the day that I die, and would be willing to fight and die for the cause of liberty in my homeland. While I do not want war of any kind, I fear that one will begin here in Bosnia-Herzegovina if the Romans refuse to at least grant us fair representation in our own homes, one which may tip over the fragile peace between the Balkans' ethnic, social, and religious differences; resulting in a conflict that will be unmatched in violence and brutality.."
"Remember this... my friends... As history has shown in the past, no government in existance has every triumphed over a country of people unwilling to be ruled by it, and will inevitably be beaten regardless of whatever enormous advantage it may have.. The Romans may have their guns, but we have our faith, our people, and our own National Identity! We are Bosnians, not Romans!"
"Long live free Bosnia!!!"
"And long live free Herzegovina!!!!!!"
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Post by Canton Rouge on Jan 16, 2008 20:40:00 GMT -5
Petyr Pricip had managed to record the majority of Alija Izbetgovia's speech, with only a few scattered parts not gotten due to the crowds cheering. Satisfied with his work, Petyr started to leave, knowing that the Nationalist party would be interested in getting the speech.
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Post by Ignatius on Jan 19, 2008 11:50:04 GMT -5
OOC - Porcu, it's your ball.
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Post by Porcu on Jan 20, 2008 15:47:21 GMT -5
Consul’s Residence, Rome
“Preposterous!” screamed Cicero from his comfortable chair in his apartment. “I have never seen such insubordination!”
“Dear, please lower your voice…I don’t want Mrs. Cappatia (The Consul’s equal in age but a general nuisance otherwise) to start complaining again…”, Cicero’s wife said from the kitchen several meters away. As Izetbegovia’s speech continued, Cicero had gradually raised the volume of the television so that by the end Mrs. Cicero could clearly hear the provocative message of Izetbegovia.
“That man”, shouted Cicero over the voice of a female analyst “Is a pest and will only harm the integrity of Rome, not to mention Rome’s image abroad! It’s taken months for decent relations between Rome and the Confederate States of America to be set up, not to mention between other European nations and even this new socialist country…I will not allow this to happen!”
Finally turning off the television and leaving the feeling of “ringing ears” to his wife, Cicero made his way over to his study room and promptly called an emergency meeting of the Senate. His old age was finally beginning to catch up to him and after an unprecedented eight straight terms as Consul, perfectly acceptable by Roman laws, Cicero certainly didn’t want to have his legacy contain a footnote- Consul Cicero was unable to prevent further deterioration of the Rome, despite his best efforts. The Consul would not let this moment define his legacy. Roman Forum
“What are we doing here Cicero!”
“Yes, I want a reason for this!”
While Cicero could certainly understand the confusion among the Senators, many of whom had been either preparing for dinner or been eating when a certain other Senator promptly interrupted them, he wished to make it clear that his government would not allow another “Spain” to occur. Anti-Roman sentiment had been building for years in Spain (Iberia) before the actual rebellion occurred, essentially catching the SPQR completely off guard, and Cicero’s legacy would not end as it had started.
Pushing his way past the dense crowd of Senators and to the front of the Forum, Cicero had the other officers of the Senate disperse the crowd and settle the riley government officials before speaking. Doing his best to rest any qualms about “this Bosnian” Cicero tried to push for heavy action against the Senatorial Province of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Unfortunately for him, he was met with some resistance, the heaviest being from a wealthy Senator from North Africa, Maximinius Servus. Having “given up” on religion years ago Senator Servus had quite the reputation, one so well known in the intellectual community that he specifically had been singled out by the Church as “an enemy of Christ and all those who believe in a Higher Being.” This attitude transcended into social and foreign policy ideology and Senator Servus had been vehemently arguing for less Senatorial control over its Provinces for years. Why, he argued, can Rome not allow for the provincial citizens to rule themselves, with the SPQR acting only as a guardian to whom the people could call in case of emergency?
Naturally, Cicero thought that this position was a dangerous one, playing into the hands of nationalists and extremists who wished full independence from Rome. Cicero argued that such a belief would cripple the Republic and lead to a slow and painful decline as more and more provinces would clamor for their sovereignty. Servus responded that, in that case, it was the SPQR’s fault that such belief was held among those citizens living out of Italy. “If they do not have any more trust in Rome, then it is time that we let them live their lives without us…”
For now the Senate was in a gridlock, Cicero having met his toughest challenge yet and looking to curb the increasingly “liberal” slide of the Senators within the Forum, and while the Church and the Pope had been quite until this point they would soon make their voice heard…
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Post by Porcu on Jan 24, 2008 19:53:40 GMT -5
OOC: Don't yell at me people...Just trying to jump start this thread again
Vatican City Papal Residence, Office of Pope Gregory XVII
Letters had been streaming in for months about all the chaos that recently has engulfed the world, piling up on the Pontiff's desk for weeks and many of them still had not been opened for there simply was not enough time. For the first time in a long time the Bishop of Rome seemingly found himself doing more tasks of administration that anything else. Lately his time of prayer had been drastically cut down, recently culminating in the Pope having to cut out an entire prayer session from his day in order to deal with all the problems arising from various locations all around the world.
It seemed ages ago that the Papacy had once again claimed land as their own and founded the Papal States once again. It seemed that a lifetime had passed when the Pontifex Maximus lead soldiers of the Papal States into battle, but surprisingly enough most of those memories had occured within the last 50 years. The current Pope still could contact Benito Mussolini, or rather 'Il Duce' as he was still referred to in the small town he inhabited, by a simple phone call and Pope Gregory XVII could still remember when he was a young man in Italy hearing about the excommunication of the "notorious" Charles de Gaulle. My the years had passed but the memories stayed for a lifetime and the world had certainly changed in those seemingly short years.
The Fascist Empire of Porcu had fallen with the descent of its one and only leader Benito Mussolini- Il Duce- his legacy still being taught to schoolchildren in the new Roman Republic, the much smaller but equally mighty French Confederation had also fallen but unfortunately for the French they were quickly absorbed by the emergence of Canton Rouge in Europe. Besides for the major decline and shift in world powers, the globe had seen a new type of fight come about; this time from fundamentalist Islam. No nation before in Hyrule's vast and rich history had ever faced such a challenge and for the first time nations found themselves battling a non-traditional enemy. In the meantime the Papacy had held the Second Vatican Council, an event that radically reformed the Church looking to spread the word of Christ all around the globe, and obviously this was not taken lightly in some places, but interestingly enough only in places with a Muslim majority.
Monasteries had been the corner stone of organized religion for Catholicism and the Church, as they were the centers for the spread, advocacy, and teachings of the Church. Beginning with the tenure of Pope John Paul II, Pope Gregory's successor, the Church had looked to expand its influence, partly with the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, to all corners of the globe. Missions had been established in remote locations of Indochina, India, Africa, Central America, and South America while several attempts at firmly establishing themselves in other sections of the Middle East besides Asia Minor (Turkey), Israel, Lebanon, and other coastal nations failed. No major breakthroughs occurred in the Middle East and for a long time the monks, the newly converted citizens, and the other local inhabitants had lived among each other in relative peace; however, ever since the Ottoman Caliphate had began to take its drastic measures against foreigners, Westerns in particular, the attacks against members of the Church drastically increased, both in number and in severity, not only in the Middle East but all around the world.
Months have passed and the messages and letters being sent from local dioceses all around the world, many calling for funds in order to rebuild a major church, others pleading for security assistance. Pope Gregory XVII's desk was swarming and finally he decided that it was the time to act. Picking up his pen he scribbled a letter to the Ottoman Caliph himself before sending it off to where it would be neatly typed up and sent off to its final destination.
To The Esteemed Caliph Abu-Ghazeed Omar II,
It is with sadness and concern that I write to you this day. Relations between our two religions have blossomed over the last several centuries, with only a few blemishes being in between. For years Christians and Muslims have demonstrated that they are capable of living amongst each other with peace and a warm heart. Both Christians and Muslims believe in a single God and while we do have our differences those are easily overcome in my opinion in order to reach our final destination of heaven.
Which brings me to my point, which is that recently there has been a surge of attacks by fundamentalist Islamic militants on followers of Christ and Vatican property, namely monasteries. These attacks are unwarranted and are not acts of retaliation, for there has been no provocation from Christians. With your immense influence over Muslims, not just in the Caliphate but all around the world, I would hope that you too are outraged by the tainting of your religion by these savages and look to publicly speak out about the atrocities. I look to centuries of cooperation between our two religions and its followers.
Pope Gregory XVIII
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