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Westboro Baptist Church

The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) is an American, unaffiliated Primitive Baptist church in Topeka, Kansas, that was founded in 1955 by pastor Fred Phelps. It is widely considered a hate group, and is known for its public protests against gay people and for its usage of the phrases "God hates fags" and "Thank God for dead soldiers". It also engages in hate speech against atheists, Jews, Muslims, transgender people, and other Christian denominations. The WBC's theology and practices are widely condemned by other Christian churches, including the Baptist World Alliance and the Southern Baptist Convention, and by politicians and public figures, including former U.S. President Barack Obama.

WBC has been protesting against homosexuality since 1989. Within a few years, the group expanded to protesting across the country. They often protest at public and private events, including funerals, sports games, and concerts. The group protested at the funerals for victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and the West Nickel Mines School shooting. The group is known to deface the American flag or fly it upside down while protesting. It also draws counter-protests.

Although the group's right to protest and use hate speech in the United States is protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, the group has faced numerous legal challenges over its history. A 2006 Act of Congress called the Respect for America's Fallen Heroes Act, created primarily due to WBC, placed restrictions on protests at some cemeteries. The 2010–2011 US Supreme Court case Snyder v. Phelps shielded the group from tort liability for a 2006 protest at a military funeral. WBC also files its own lawsuits via a Phelps family law firm (eleven of Phelps' children are lawyers), and has won cases that have yielded thousands of dollars for the group. Members of the group have been banned from entering Canada and the United Kingdom after attempting to protest in those countries.

In 2016, Forbes stated WBC had about 70 members. The group primarily consists of members of Phelps's extended family, although many of its members have left or been excommunicated. Several family members, including Nathan Phelps and Megan Phelps-Roper, have left the church and become activists against it. Fred Phelps himself was excommunicated from the church around August 2013. Before his death in 2014, a church spokesperson stated that the group did not have a defined leader "[f]or a very long time". Several former members have accused the group of brainwashing and abusive behavior.

History
Westboro Baptist Church originated as a branch of the East Side Baptist Church, which was established in 1931 on the east side of Topeka. In 1954, East Side hired Fred Phelps as an associate pastor. By 1955, Phelps was promoted to pastor of a new East Side church plant, Westboro Baptist, on the west side of Topeka. Its first public service was held on November 27, 1955. After Westboro was established, Phelps broke ties with East Side to become independent of any Baptist denomination. His vitriolic preaching alienated most of the original congregation, who either returned to East Side or joined other congregations, leaving him with a small following consisting almost entirely of his own relatives and close friends.

Phelps was a veteran of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. He founded the Phelps Chartered law firm in 1964, which has since been used to sue communities that are targets of Westboro's protests.

Westboro Baptist first began protesting homosexuality in 1989 after the discovery of what they referred to as a "tearoom", meaning a public lavatory used for homosexual interactions. The group later began picketing Gage Park six blocks northwest of its headquarters in Topeka in 1991, saying it was a den of anonymous homosexual activity. Soon, its protests had spread throughout the city, and within three years WBC was traveling across the country. Phelps explained in 1994 that he considered the negative reaction to the picketing to be proof of his righteousness.

On August 20, 1995, a pipe bomb exploded outside the home of Shirley Phelps-Roper, the daughter of Fred Phelps. The blast damaged an SUV, a fence, and part of the house, but no one was injured. In 1996, two men were arrested for the bombing, and both admitted to causing the blast. They had believed Phelps-Roper's house was that of the pastor and wanted to retaliate against Westboro's anti-gay protests at Washburn University. One of the bombers was fined $1,751 and was sentenced to 16 days in prison plus 100 hours of community service.

Fred Phelps died of natural causes on March 19, 2014. His daughter Shirley said a funeral would not be held because Westboro does not "worship the dead". He had previously been voted out of his leadership position and, according to representatives, the organization had no defined leader in the time leading up to his death.

Positions and views
Westboro Baptists believe in five-point Calvinism, as reflected in the TULIP acronym that is displayed prominently at the front of the church sanctuary. They believe in limited atonement, unconditional election, and the double predestination of both the saved and the damned, which can weigh heavily on members as well as those who leave the church. According to Barrett-Fox, they see "moral living as a sign of election" and they say they have a duty to preach to the public, not to "save people" (who are predestined) but to spread a message of obedience to God. In her dissertation on Westboro Baptist, she labels this theology as Hyper-Calvinist.

They see themselves as coming from the Primitive Baptist movement. Their Primitive Baptist practices include their style of worship, approach to church discipline, liturgical preferences and seeing themselves as from a "separatist, antiestablishment" lineage (p. 66).

Anti-homosexuality
WBC is known for its homophobic rhetoric. The Anti-Defamation League describes the group as "virulently homophobic", saying its anti-homosexual rhetoric is often a cover for antisemitism, anti-Americanism, racism, and hatred of other Christian groups. The Southern Poverty Law Center has added WBC to a list of hate groups for its homophobia. The group has also expressed transphobic messages in its protests. Its homophobic outlook has led its members to protest LGBT pride events and funerals of those who died due to HIV/AIDS, as well as blame homosexuals for mass-casualty events such as the September 11 attacks.

Antisemitism
"" In 1996, Phelps began a campaign called "Topeka's Baptist Holocaust", whereby he attempted to draw attention to attacks perpetrated against WBC picketers, saying they were not random but organized attacks orchestrated by Jews and homosexuals. Phelps announced, "Jews killed Christ", and "Fag Jew Nazis are worse than ordinary Nazis. They've had more experience. The First Holocaust was a Jewish Holocaust against Christians. The latest Holocaust is by Topeka Jews against Westboro Baptist Church."

In another statement, he said "Topeka Jews today stir up Kansas tyrants in persecuting Westboro Baptists. They whine about the Nazi Holocaust, while they perpetrate the Topeka Holocaust."

A March 25, 2006, flier regarding a Jewish adversary of Phelps uses the phrase "bloody Jew" four times and the phrase "evil Jew" more than once every 12 sentences. The Anti-Defamation League has criticized WBC and Phelps, and keeps a sampling of WBC's fliers regarding Judaism on their website.

In an interview, Margie Phelps said WBC targeted the American Jewish community because members had "testified" to gentiles for 19 years that "America is doomed" and that "Now it's too late. We're done with them." She also claimed Jews were "one of the loudest voices" in favor of homosexuality and abortion, and that "[Jews] claim to be God's chosen people. Do you think that God is going to wink at that forever?" Phelps concluded by stating, in an apparent reference to the Book of Revelation, that all the nations of the world would soon march on Israel, and that they would be led by President Barack Obama, whom she called the "Antichrist".

Islamophobia
Jael Phelps said in a 2011 interview that she and the other members of WBC tauntingly and publicly burned a copy of the Quran while being scolded by a Muslim man, calling it an "idolatrous piece of trash" and that they were giving it the "proper respect that it deserves" by doing so. They picketed the funeral of the Muslim man's wife the following week. Jael Phelps said the wife's death was partly due to her Muslim husband having spoken out against WBC, and therefore rejecting God and bringing his "righteous judgement" down upon him. She also commented that "all those angry little Muslims can just shut their mouths."

In 2010, Westboro Baptists said they would again burn a Quran as an example of idolatry today.

Barack Obama conspiracy theories
Margie Phelps, daughter of Fred Phelps and attorney for WBC, said in an interview with Fox News that Barack Obama would "absolutely" be going to Hell and that he was "most likely the Beast spoken of in the Revelation." She also said Obama's presidency was a sign of the Apocalypse. On January 20, 2013, picketers of the Westboro Baptist Church protested Obama's second inauguration. The protesters had a legal permit and used signs with homophobic messages as well as referring to Obama as the Antichrist.

Structure and picketing
WBC consists primarily of members of Fred Phelps's extended family. According to Forbes, it has roughly 70 members as of 2016, having previously had 80 members in 2011. In her book on Westboro Baptists, religious studies scholar Rebecca Barrett-Fox describes their identification with Primitive Baptists. Members attend a weekly service and believe in a theology of predestination which includes believing all disasters and catastrophes come from the hand of God. Members follow the organization's 'literal' interpretation of the Bible which informs their attitudes towards homosexuality and towards Judaism. The religious justification for active political hate speech has led to much controversy. WBC's travel expenses have exceeded as much as $200,000 annually. One of Westboro's followers estimated the organization spends $250,000 a year on picketing. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, it is funded entirely from within the organization and accepts no outside donations. WBC has received money from lawsuits and legal fees, through the closely related Phelps Chartered law firm, when its protests have been unlawfully disrupted. For example, the firm sued the city of Topeka several times in the 1990s, and received $16,500 in legal fees for a court case won against a Marine's bereaved father. Because the firm represents WBC in its lawsuits, it can use money from cases it wins to further fund the organization under the Civil Rights Attorney's Fees Award Act of 1976. WBC is considered a nonprofit organization by the federal government, and is therefore exempt from paying taxes. All five of Phelps Chartered's lawyers are Phelps's children, and eleven of his thirteen children are lawyers. Members of the Phelps family are expected to give ten percent of their earnings to WBC.

WBC carries out daily picketing in Topeka and travels nationally to picket the funerals of gay victims of murder or gay-bashing, as well as those of people who have died from complications related to AIDS. It also pickets other events related or peripherally related to homosexuality; Kansas City Chiefs football games, and live pop concerts. At its peak, the group was able to picket roughly 15 churches a day, including many in Topeka and some events farther afield. The group has protested a number of high-profile events such as the funerals of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and the West Nickel Mines School shooting. As well as protesting these high-profile events, WBC protests many local low-profile events. While the messages are widely condemned, it always ensures its protests are legal in nature. Through keeping the protests non-violent and acquiring the proper permits, WBC avoids legal trouble. However, it is the protesting of military funerals that led to the organization receiving much attention. Its public acts have cast a political spotlight on the group that has given it vast attention for its small size. On two occasions, WBC accepted offers for radio air time in exchange for canceling an announced protest.

WBC also releases parody songs. According to Steve Drain (WBC's public information officer) in an interview with Vice News, "When we make our choice of songs, that really revolves around mostly popularity. It's mostly mainstream stuff, the whole idea of our doing parodies is to preach."

Laws limiting funeral protests
In response to the protests conducted by Westboro members at Indiana funerals, a bill was introduced in the Indiana General Assembly that would make it a felony to protest within 500 ft of a funeral. The bill provides penalties of up to three years in prison and a $10,000 fine for those found to be in violation of the law. Shortly before this bill was signed members of the church had threatened to protest in Kokomo, Indiana, at a funeral service that was being held for a soldier who was killed in Iraq. On January 11, 2006, the bill unanimously (11–0) passed a committee vote, and while members of the church had traveled to Kokomo to protest, they were not seen during or after the funeral service. On May 23, 2006, the state of Michigan banned any intentional disruption of funerals within 500 ft of the ceremony. Violating the statute would be a felony, punishable by up to two years in prison and a $5,000 fine for the first offense and up to four years in prison and a $10,000 fine for a subsequent offense.

On May 17, 2006, the state of Illinois enacted Senate Bill 1144, the "Let Them Rest In Peace Act", to shield grieving military families from protests during funerals and memorial services of fallen military service members. A first-time violation of the Act is a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a $1,500 fine, and a second or subsequent offense is a Class 4 felony punishable by one to three years in state prison and a fine of up to $25,000.

On March 29, 2006, the Respect for America's Fallen Heroes Act was introduced by Mike Rogers, a Republican member of the House. The bipartisan bill received a 408–3 vote in the House, after 21 representatives chose not to vote. The Senate unanimously voted in approval of the law. On May 29, 2006, President George W. Bush signed the bill into law at a Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. The bill prohibits protests within 300 ft of the entrance of any cemetery under control of the National Cemetery Administration from 60 minutes before to 60 minutes after a funeral. Failing to adhere to this law can lead to a substantial fine of up to $100,000 or up to a year in prison.

On January 11, 2011, the state of Arizona held an emergency legislative session to pass a bill barring protests within 300 ft of a funeral and within an hour from its beginning or end. The bill was swiftly signed into law ahead of the January 12 funeral of those killed in the 2011 Tucson shooting.

On August 2, 2012, the U.S. Congress passed a bill that included restrictions on demonstrators at military funerals, which became law four days later when signed by Obama, who condemned the WBC. This bill was primarily motivated by the WBC's protests at memorial services for victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Several petitions to the White House (using the We the People system) were submitted, calling on President Barack Obama to legally recognize the WBC as a hate group, revoke its tax exemption for religious organizations, and to ban protests at funerals and memorial services. The bill mandated staying at least 300 feet (91 m) away from funerals and homes of family members for 2 hours before until 2 hours after a funeral. The church condemned the restrictions.

Supreme Court case
On March 10, 2006, the WBC picketed the funeral of Marine Lance Corporal Matthew A. Snyder in Westminster, Maryland. A cordoned off picket was held approximately 1000 ft from the church for about 30 minutes before the funeral began. Snyder's father, Albert, sued for defamation, invasion of privacy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The lawsuit alleged Fred Phelps, Rebekah Phelps-Davis, and Shirley Phelps-Roper were responsible for publishing defamatory statements about the Snyder family on the internet, including that Albert and his wife had "raised [Matthew] for the devil" and taught him "to defy his Creator, to divorce, and to commit adultery". Other statements denounced them for raising their son Catholic. Snyder further alleged the defendants had intruded upon and staged protests at his son's funeral. The defamation count was dismissed on First Amendment grounds, but the case proceeded to trial on the remaining two counts.

District Judge Richard D. Bennett instructed the jury to decide "whether the defendant's actions would be highly offensive to a reasonable person, whether they were extreme and outrageous and whether these actions were so offensive and shocking as to not be entitled to First Amendment protection". On October 31, 2007, Phelps, Shirley Phelps-Roper and Rebecca Phelps-Davis were found liable for invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The jury awarded Snyder a total of $10,900,000; $2.9 million in compensatory damages, $6 million in punitive damages for invasion of privacy and $2 million for causing emotional distress. The group unsuccessfully sought a mistrial based on alleged prejudicial statements made by the judge and violations of the gag order by the plaintiff's attorney. On February 4, 2008, Bennett upheld the ruling but reduced the punitive damages to $2.1 million. Liens were ordered on WBC buildings and Phelps's law office in an attempt to ensure the damages would be paid.

On September 24, 2009, a federal appeals court reversed the lower court's award. It found the picket near the funeral was protected speech because it involved "matters of public concern, including the issues of homosexuals in the military, the sex-abuse scandal within the Catholic Church, and the political and moral conduct of the United States and its citizens", and did not violate the privacy of the service member's family. On March 30, 2010, the appeals court ordered Snyder to pay WBC's court costs of over $16,000, a move Snyder's attorneys referred to as "adding insult to injury".

On March 8, 2010, the Supreme Court granted certiorari in Snyder v. Phelps. On May 28, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and 42 other senators filed an amicus brief in support of Snyder. On June 1, Kansas Attorney General Stephen Six filed a separate brief supporting Snyder which was joined by the Attorneys General of 47 other states and the District of Columbia. Several news and civil rights organizations filed amicus briefs in support of Phelps. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Phelps on March 2, 2011. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote of the 8–1 decision: "What Westboro said, in the whole context of how and where it chose to say it, is entitled to 'special protection' under the First Amendment and that protection cannot be overcome by a jury finding that the picketing was outrageous." Justice Samuel Alito, the lone dissenter, said Snyder wanted only to "bury his son in peace" and "Our profound national commitment to free and open debate is not a license for the vicious verbal assault that occurred in this case".

Entry bans
In August 2008, Canadian officials learned of WBC's intent to stage a protest at the funeral of Tim McLean, a Winnipeg resident who was killed on a bus. The protests intended to convey the message that the man's murder was God's response to Canadian laws permitting abortion, homosexuality, divorce and remarriage. In response, Canadian officials barred the organization's members from entering the country.

In February 2009, British news sources discovered WBC had announced, via its website, its intent to picket a youth production of The Laramie Project to be held at Central Studio, Queen Mary's College in the town of Basingstoke, Hampshire, on February 20, 2009. This would have been its first picket in the United Kingdom. In the lead-up to the picket, Members of Parliament, LGBT groups, and lobbyists appealed to Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, requesting WBC be blocked from entering the UK, on the basis of it inciting hatred towards LGBT people. On February 18, 2009, two days before the intended picket date, the Home Office announced Fred Phelps and Shirley Phelps-Roper would be specifically excluded from entering the UK for having "engaged in unacceptable behaviour by inciting hatred against a number of communities", and also other members "could also be flagged and stopped if they tried to enter Britain".

Other legal responses
"" In 1995, Phelps Sr.'s eldest grandson, Benjamin Phelps, was convicted of assault and disorderly conduct after spitting upon the face of a passerby during a picket.

In the 1990s, WBC won a series of lawsuits against the City of Topeka and Shawnee County for efforts taken to prevent or hinder WBC picketing, and was awarded approximately $200,000 in attorney's fees and costs associated with the litigation.

In 2004, Phelps Sr.'s daughter Margie Phelps and Margie's son Jacob were arrested for trespassing, disorderly conduct and failure to obey after disregarding a police officer's order during an attempted protest.

In June 2007 Shirley Phelps-Roper was arrested in Nebraska and charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The arrest resulted from her allowing her ten-year-old son to step on a U.S. flag during the demonstration, which is illegal under Nebraska law. The defense contended that the child's actions were protected speech, and that the state law is unconstitutional. The prosecution claimed the demonstration was not intended as political speech, but as an incitement to violence, and that Phelps-Roper's conduct might also constitute child abuse. Prosecutors later dropped charges against Phelps-Roper.

On July 14, 2006, Mundy Township, Michigan billed WBC for $5,000, after it had informed the township authorities on June 28 that a protest was planned at the Swartz Funeral Home. The bill to WBC ensued, according to the local police chief, because the organization failed to keep a verbal contract for security. Fred Phelps's daughter claimed that the Holy Ghost had informed them not to fly to Michigan even though they had already purchased airline tickets. Security at the Webb funeral was high; 15 fire trucks were involved, as well as numerous police officers from nearby jurisdictions. The township has stated that it will not pursue the matter.

Counter-protests
Counter-protestors have appeared at some of WBC's protests, sometimes numbering in the hundreds or thousands.

Counter-protestors have been known to display humorous signs to mock the group. In particular, the phrase "God hates figs" is commonly used, along with citations to bible verses in which Jesus says that none should eat the fruit of a fig tree, in which Jesus causes a fig tree to wither, and in which God promises as a punishment to make someone like bad figs. The signs have appeared at counter-protests at the University of Chicago, in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. They also appear at non-WBC-related events, such as the Rally to Restore Sanity. The use of these satirical signs has been praised by the American Civil Liberties Union and others.

Other phrases include "God Hates Fred Phelps", "God Hates Bags", and "God Hates Shrimp". The dysfunctional Cooper family in Kevin Smith's 2011 film Red State was reportedly inspired by WBC.

Criticism from other Christians
Baptist churches, Baptist-affiliated seminaries, and Baptist conventions, including the Baptist World Alliance and the Southern Baptist Convention (two of the largest Baptist groups), have denounced WBC over the years. In addition, other mainstream Christian denominations have condemned the actions of WBC. Katherine Weber of The Christian Post states that "Westboro is considered an extremist group by most mainstream Christian churches and secular groups, and is well known for its aggressive protesting style."

An alliance of six British religious groups (the Methodist Church of Great Britain, Baptist Union of Great Britain, United Reformed Church, Evangelical Alliance, Faithworks, and Bible Society-funded thinktank Theos) made a joint statement on February 19, 2009, in support of the government's entry ban for members of WBC. They condemned the activities of WBC, stating: "We do not share their hatred of lesbian and gay people. We believe that God loves all, irrespective of sexual orientation, and we unreservedly stand against their message of hate toward those communities. Neither the style nor substance of their preaching expresses the historic, orthodox Christian faith. And we ask that the members of Westboro Baptist Church refrain from stirring up any more homophobic hatred in the UK or elsewhere."

Evangelist pastor Jerry Falwell Sr. referred to Fred Phelps as "a first-class nut". WBC picketed Falwell's funeral service on May 22, 2007.

In 2013, Christian rock band Five Iron Frenzy recorded a song titled "God Hates Flags" condemning the actions of the Westboro Baptist Church and similar organizations, including such lyrics as "If God is love you got it wrong waving all your placards and flags".

Other criticisms
A number of critics have alleged that the actions of WBC are merely a ploy to receive publicity, and argue that ignoring it completely would be more effective than counter-protests.

Political commentator Bill O'Reilly frequently criticizes WBC, and has called them "evil and despicable". During Snyder v. Phelps, he offered to pay the entire amount of Albert Snyder's legal costs. Documentary filmmaker Michael Moore has also criticized WBC. In response to WBC's protests after the Sandy Hook shooting, Rapper Mac Lethal criticized the group in a video entitled "Beatbox + iPhone + Guitar + Fast Rap = Win".

Former members
Since 2004, over 20 members of WBC, mostly family members, have left the organization and the Phelps family. Several of them have accused WBC of brainwashing.

Mark Phelps, estranged son of WBC's founder, Fred Phelps, left the organization in 1973 and began "formal healing therapy in 1988 and worked toward healing and restoration, overcoming the horrible pain and fear from the 19 years of living with" his father. Mark was re-baptized in a local church in 1994 and stated: "If I had to take my family to court and convict them of being followers of Christ, I am not sure where I would find the evidence."

Libby Phelps-Alvarez, a granddaughter of the late Fred Phelps and daughter of Fred Phelps Jr. left WBC in 2009. In 2017, she released a book entitled Girl on a Wire: Walking the Line Between Faith and Freedom. The book documents her years in WBC and what lead up to her decision to leave and eventual departure. Phelps-Alvarez is now an advocate for gay equality.

Zach Phelps-Roper is the grandson of Fred Phelps and the fourth sibling of the Phelps-Roper family to leave WBC (besides Megan and Grace mentioned below, brothers Joshua and Noah have also left). After attempting to leave the organization five times previously, he finally left in 2014 after his views began to change. He now preaches about a life of empathy and unconditional love.

Danielle Phelps, granddaughter of Fred Phelps, left the church in 2014 shortly after her grandfather's death. She is openly gay and joined the US Marine Corps after leaving the church. In an interview with Harry Robinson on the All Out Attack Podcast, Danielle revealed that Steve Drain, father of Lauren Drain and one of the elders of the church after Fred Phelps's death, and the rest of his family, had reportedly been excommunicated from the church.

Nathan Phelps
Nathan Phelps is another estranged son of Fred. He left Westboro on his 18th birthday in 1976. He has stated that he never had a relationship with his abusive father when he was growing up, and that WBC is an organization for his father to "vent his rage and anger." He has also stated that, in addition to hurting others, his father used to physically abuse his wife and children by beating them with his fists and with the handle of a mattock to the point of bleeding. Phelps's brother Mark has supported and repeated Nathan's claims of physical abuse by their father.

In March 2014, Nathan posted on Facebook that his father was in a hospice in Topeka and was near death, and that Fred was excommunicated from WBC in August 2013, for unclear reasons. These assertions were later reaffirmed by Mark Phelps. Nathan had previously predicted the organization may fall into leadership and theological crises when Fred died, because he had been the binding figure and because their beliefs hold that they are immortal, which would be disproved with the death of a member. WBC spokesperson Steve Drain denied Fred Sr. was on the verge of death and refused to confirm the reported excommunication. Fred Sr. died three days later.

Megan Phelps-Roper
Megan Phelps-Roper, a grandchild of Fred Phelps, left WBC in 2012 together with her sister Grace, and explained her reasons and experiences in a TED talk. In 2015, Sam Harris published an interview with her. She has written a book entitled Unfollow: A Journey from Hatred to Hope, leaving the Westboro Baptist Church. She has been making a film about her experiences and notes that four of her siblings have also left WBC.

Lauren Drain
Lauren Drain, another former member of WBC who was excommunicated in 2008, released an autobiography titled Banished in March 2013. She characterizes children, like herself, as being brainwashed into their belief system and describes consequences of questioning their belief system, such as her banishment.

Media coverage
In 2001, Sundance Channel aired the film A Union in Wait, a documentary about same-sex marriage directed by Ryan Butler. Phelps and members of WBC appeared in the film after Phelps picketed Wake Forest Baptist Church at Wake Forest University over a proposed same-sex union ceremony.

In 2005, the British satellite company British Sky Broadcasting produced an investigative piece using hidden cameras, which included footage of two of Phelps's granddaughters, Libby and Jael. In the testimonial, Libby and Jael explain that they hope and pray that no one outside of Westboro becomes "elect", because they want everyone else in the world to die horribly and burn in Hell, and that even if they did not believe their actions were dictated by God, they would still do and enjoy them anyway.

On April 1, 2007, British television channel BBC Two broadcast Louis Theroux's The Most Hated Family in America. Theroux has presented a number of documentaries about unusual or unconventional people and groups in the UK, the US and elsewhere. In the documentary, Theroux questioned Shirley Phelps-Roper as to whether she had considered if Westboro's protests were more likely to "put people off the Word of Jesus Christ and the Bible". In response, she said, "You think our job is to win souls to Christ. All we do, by getting in their face and putting these signs in front of them and these plain words, is make what's already in their heart come out of their mouth." Later in the documentary, Phelps-Roper agreed the $200,000 WBC annually spent to fly to funerals to protest was money spent to spread "God's hate". While being filmed by Theroux, it picketed a local appliance store because the store sold Swedish vacuum cleaners, which the group viewed as being supportive of gay people because of Swedish prosecution of Åke Green, a pastor critical of homosexuality.

The website godhatesfags.com was prominently featured in The Jeremy Kyle Show, a talk show aired on the ITV network in the United Kingdom on June 5, 2007. Shirley Phelps-Roper and her daughters had been invited to express their beliefs live via satellite. On the show, Kyle criticized the Phelpses for their beliefs and referred to the Phelps children as "completely and utterly brainwashed", and to Phelps-Roper herself as "deranged".

In the June 21, 2007, Channel 4 documentary Keith Allen Will Burn in Hell, starring Keith Allen, on which Phelps-Roper and some of her children agreed to appear, Phelps-Roper admitted on camera that her oldest son, Samuel, was born out of wedlock. Allen declared Phelps-Roper's vocal condemnation of strangers having sexual congress outside of marriage to be hypocritical as she was guilty of the same thing.

Louis Theroux made a follow-up to his first documentary which was broadcast in the UK on April 3, 2011, America's Most Hated Family in Crisis. Theroux reported that Westboro was in a state of "crisis" and documented the departure of several young members. Since then, two more prominent members have left WBC. Louis returned for a third documentary, Surviving America's Most Hated Family, in 2019.

title: Westboro Baptist Church


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Malik-Shah I

Malik-Shah I was the third sultan of the Seljuk Empire from 1072 to 1092, under whom the sultanate reached the zenith of its power and influence. During his youth, he spent his time participating in the campaigns of his father Alp Arslan, along with the latter's vizier Nizam al-Mulk. During one such campaign in 1072, Alp Arslan was fatally wounded and died only a few days later. After that, Malik-Shah was crowned as the new sultan of the empire, but the succession was contested by his uncle Qavurt. Although Malik-Shah was the nominal head of the Seljuk state, Nizam al-Mulk held near absolute power during his reign. Malik-Shah spent the rest of his reign waging war against the Karakhanids to the east and establishing order in the Caucasus.

The cause of Malik-Shah's death remains under dispute to this day; according to some scholars, he was poisoned by Abbasid caliph al-Muqtadi, while others say that he was poisoned by the supporters of Nizam al-Mulk.

Etymology
Although he was known by several names, he was mostly known as "Malik-Shah", a combination of the Arabic word malik (king) and the Persian word shah (which also means king).

Early life
Malik-Shah was born on 16 August 1055 and spent his youth in Isfahan. According to the 12th-century Persian historian Muhammad bin Ali Rawandi, Malik-Shah had fair skin, was tall and somewhat bulky. In 1064, Malik-Shah, only 9 years old by then, along with Nizam al-Mulk, the Persian vizier of the Empire, took part in Alp Arslan's campaign in the Caucasus. The same year, Malik-Shah was married to Terken Khatun, the daughter of the Karakhanid khan Ibrahim Tamghach-Khan. In 1066, Alp Arslan arranged a ceremony near Merv, where he appointed Malik-Shah as his heir and also granted him Isfahan as a fief.

In 1071, Malik-Shah took part in the Syrian campaign of his father, and stayed in Aleppo when his father fought the Byzantine emperor Romanos IV Diogenes at Manzikert. In 1072, Malik-Shah and Nizam al-Mulk accompanied Alp-Arslan during his campaign in Transoxiana against the Karakhanids. However, Alp-Arslan was badly wounded during his expedition, and Malik-Shah shortly took over the army. Alp-Arslan died some days later, and Malik-Shah was declared as the new sultan of the empire.

War of succession
However, right after Malik-Shah's accession, his uncle Qavurt claimed the throne for himself and sent Malik-Shah a message which said: "I am the eldest brother, and you are a youthful son; I have the greater right to my brother Alp-Arslan's inheritance." Malik-Shah then replied by sending the following message: "A brother does not inherit when there is a son." This message enraged Qavurt, who thereafter occupied Isfahan. In 1073 a battle took place near Hamadan, which lasted three days. Qavurt was accompanied by his seven sons, and his army consisted of Turkmens, while the army of Malik-Shah consisted of ghulams ("military slaves") and contingents of Kurdish and Arab troops.

During the battle, the Turks of Malik-Shah's army mutinied against him, but he nevertheless managed to defeat and capture Qavurt. Qavurt then begged for mercy and in return promised to retire to Oman. However, Nizam al-Mulk declined the offer, claiming that sparing him was an indication of weakness. After some time, Qavurt was strangled to death with a bowstring, while two of his sons were blinded. After having dealt with that problem, Malik-Shah appointed Qutlugh-Tegin as the governor of Fars and Sav-Tegin as the governor of Kerman.

Warfare with Karakhanids
Malik-Shah then turned his attention towards the Karakhanids, who had after the death of Alp-Arslan invaded Tukharistan, which was ruled by Malik-Shah's brother Ayaz, who was unable to repel the Karakhanids and was killed by them. Malik-Shah eventually managed to repel the Karakhanids and captured Tirmidh, giving Sav-Tegin the key of the city. Malik-Shah then appointed his other brother Shihab al-Din Tekish as the ruler of Tukharistan and Balkh. During the same period, the Ghaznavid ruler Ibrahim was seizing Seljuk territory in northern Khorasan, but was defeated by Malik-Shah, who then made peace with the latter and gave his daughter Gawhar Khatun in marriage to Ibrahim's son Mas'ud III.

Other wars
In 1074, Malik-Shah ordered the Turkic warlord Arghar to restore what he had destroyed during his raids in the territory of the Shirvanshah Fariburz I. During the same year, he appointed Qavurt's son Rukn al-Dawla Sultan-Shah as the ruler of Kerman. One year later, Malik-Shah sent an army under Sav-Tegin to Arran, which was ruled by the Shaddadid ruler Fadlun III. Sav-Tegin managed to easily conquer the region, thus ending Shaddadid rule. Malik-Shah then gave Gorgan to Fadlun III as a fief. Throughout Malik's reign new institutions of learning were established and it was during this time that the Jalali calendar was reformed at the Isfahan observatory. In 1086–87, he led an expedition to capture Edessa, Manbij, Aleppo, Antioch and Latakia. During this expedition, he appointed Aq Sunqur governor of Aleppo and received homage of the Arab emir of Shaizar, Nasir ibn Ali ibn Munquidh. In 1089, Malik-Shah captured Samarkand with the support of the local clergy, and imprisoned its Karakhanid ruler Ahmad Khan ibn Khizr, who was the nephew of Terken Khatun. He then marched to Semirechye, and made the Karakhanid Harun Khan ibn Sulayman, the ruler of Kashgar and Khotan, acknowledge him as his suzerain.

Domestic policy and Ismailis
In 1092, Nizam al-Mulk was assassinated near Sihna, on the road to Baghdad, by a man disguised as a Sufi. As the assassin was immediately cut down by Nizam's bodyguard, it became impossible to establish with certainty who had sent him. One theory had it that he was an Assassin, since these assassins regularly made attempts on the lives of Seljuk officials and rulers during the 11th century. Another theory had it that the attack had been instigated by Malik-Shah, who may have grown tired of his overmighty vizier. After Nizam al-Mulk's death, Malik-Shah appointed another Persian named Taj al-Mulk Abu'l Ghana'im as his vizier. Malik-Shah then went to Baghdad and decided to depose al-Muqtadi and sent him the following message: "You must relinquish Baghdad to me, and depart to any land you choose." This was because Malik-Shah wanted to appoint his grandson (or nephew) Ja'far as the new caliph.

The Sultan had a good relationship with the Shias at large except for the Ismailis of Hassan ibn Sabbah. Followers of Sabbah managed to occupy the Alamut fortress near Qazvin, and the army under the command of the emir Arslan-Tash, sent by Malik Shah, could not recapture it. The Sultan's ghilman, Kizil Sarug, besieged the Daru fortress in Kuhistan, but ceased hostilities in connection with the death of Malik Shah on November 19, 1092, possibly due to poisoning.

Death and aftermath
Malik-Shah died on 19 November 1092 while he was hunting. He was most likely poisoned by the caliph or the supporters of Nizam al-Mulk. Under the orders of Terken Khatun, Malik-Shah's body was taken back to Isfahan, where it was buried in a madrasa.

Upon his death, the Seljuk Empire fell into chaos, as rival successors and regional governors carved up their empire and waged war against each other. The situation within the Seljuk lands was further complicated by the beginning of the First Crusade, which detached large portions of Syria and Palestine from Muslim control in 1098 and 1099. The success of the First Crusade is at least in part attributable to the political confusion which resulted from Malik-Shah's death.

Family
Malikshah had many wives and concubines and multiple children born from them. Principal wives were:

 * 1) Terken Khatun (b. 1053, m. 1065. d. 1094 ) – daughter of Tamghach Khan Ibrahim
 * 2) * Dawud (d. 1082)
 * 3) * Ahmed (1077–1088)
 * 4) * Mahmud (b. 1087–88)
 * 5) * Abu'l-Qasim (d. childhood)
 * 6) * A son (d. childhood, buried in Ray)
 * 7) * Mah-i Mulk Khatun (m. 1082 to Al-Muqtadi )
 * 8) Zubayda Khatun (b. 1056 d. 1099 ) – daughter of Yaquti son of Chaghri Beg
 * 9) * Barkiyaruq
 * 10) * Gawhar Khatun (m. Mas'ud III of Ghazni)

Concubines:

 * 1) Taj al-Din Khatun Safariyya (also known as Bushali, d. 1121, Merv)
 * 2) * Muhammad Tapar
 * 3) * Ahmad Sanjar
 * 4) * A son (d. childhood, buried in Ray)
 * 5) * Ismah Khatun (m. 1109 to Al-Mustazhir)

 * 1) Unknown mothers:
 * 2) * Tughril
 * 3) * Amir Khumarin (an albino)
 * 4) * Sitara Khatun (m. Garshasp II, son of Ali ibn Faramurz)
 * 5) * Salkim Khatun (m. Qarin III, son of Shahriyar IV, m. Ali I)
 * 6) * Safiya Khatun (m. Taj al-Din Abu'l-Fazl Nasr bin Halef, ruler of Sistan)
 * 7) * A daughter (m. Sultan Shah, son of Qavurt)
 * 8) * A daughter (m. Ispahbud Taj al-Mulk Mardavij, son of Ali ibn Mardavij)
 * 9) * Terken Khatun (m. Kara-Khanid Muhammad Arslan Khan (r. 1102 – 1129)
 * 10) ** Rukn al-Din Mahmud Khan (r. 1132–1144), succeeded Sanjar in Khurasan.
 * 11) * A daughter (m. 1101–02 Abdulaziz bin Omar bin Maza, governor of Bukhara)

Legacy
The 18th century English historian Edward Gibbon wrote of him: "On his father's death the inheritance was disputed by an uncle, a cousin, and a brother: they drew their cimeters, and assembled their followers; and the triple victory of Malek Shah established his own reputation and the right of primogeniture. In every age, and more especially in Asia, the thirst of power has inspired the same passions, and occasioned the same disorders; but, from the long series of civil war, it would not be easy to extract a sentiment more pure and magnanimous than is contained in the saying of the Turkish prince. On the eve of the battle, he performed his devotions at Thous, before the tomb of the Imam Riza. As the sultan rose from the ground, he asked his vizier Nizam, who had knelt beside him, what had been the object of his secret petition: 'That your arms may be crowned with victory,' was the prudent, and most probably the sincere, answer of the minister. 'For my part,' replied the generous Malek, 'I implored the Lord of Hosts that he would take from me my life and crown, if my brother be more worthy than myself to reign over the Moslems.' The favourable judgment of heaven was ratified by the caliph; and for the first time, the sacred title of Commander of the Faithful was communicated to a Barbarian. But this Barbarian, by his personal merit, and the extent of his empire, was the greatest prince of his age."

Personality
Malik-Shah displayed substantial interest in science, art and literature. The Isfahan Observatory or Malikshah Observatory was constructed during his reign, closing shortly after his death in 1092. It was from the work at the observatory that the Jalali Calendar was adopted. He thought highly of the art of architecture as well, as he enjoyed building new and splendid mosques in his capital, Isfahan. He was religiously tolerant which is supported by the fact that during his reign, subjects of the Seljuk Empire enjoyed internal peace and religious tolerance. Malik-Shah also showed lenience towards exquisite poetry as his reign is also memorable for the poetry of Omar Khayyam.

Despite being arguably the most powerful monarch of his era, it is believed that Malik-Shah was unpretentious and modest. The legend has it that during the years that were hugely successful for Seljuks on all fronts, Malik-Shah, overwhelmed by the imperial might of his dynasty, used to climb to the top of a hill and say the following: "Oh Almighty God, I will somehow cope with the problem of hunger, please save me from the threat of abundance".

Malik Shah did not spend as much time on campaign as his prominent predecessor Tughril or his father Alp Arslan did. Isfahan became securely established as his chief city of residence, although in the latter years of his rule Malik Shah preferred to winter in Baghdad. Whereas Alp Arslan had spent just over a year out of his decade-long reign in Isfahan, Malik Shah resided there for more than half of his rule. Isfahan also served as the burial site of Malik Shah, his descendants, as well as celebrated bureaucrats of the sultanate like Nizam al-Mulk. Malik Shah's decision of residing in a capital far away from the centers of Turkmen settlement around Merv, Rayy, Hamadan, and Azerbaijan could well be explained by the increasing distance between him and his nomadic subjects.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Malik-Shah I


text:
Plymouth, Montserrat

Plymouth is a ghost town and the de jure capital of the island of Montserrat, an overseas territory of the United Kingdom located in the Leeward Island chain of the Lesser Antilles, West Indies. Plymouth is still the de jure capital of Montserrat, making it the only ghost town that is the capital of a political territory.

Constructed during the Georgian Era on historical lava deposits near the then long inactive Soufrière Hills volcano, the town was evacuated in 1995 when the volcano resumed erupting. Plymouth was eventually abandoned permanently in 1997 after it was substantially buried by a series of pyroclastic flows and lahars. For centuries, it had been the only port of entry to the island. A new capital is under construction at Little Bay, with nearby Brades serving as the de facto capital for the time being.

St. Anthony's Church
After the establishment of the first European colony on the island of Montserrat in 1632, St. Anthony's Church was established in Plymouth in 1636. Although there is a St. Anthony in Catholicism, it is believed that Governor Anthony Brisket, who went to England to secure funds to build the church, had the church named after himself. The church had to be rebuilt several times throughout its history due to damage from earthquakes and hurricanes. As of September 2021, the church is buried deep in the ash.

Hurricane Hugo
Montserrat was struck by Hurricane Hugo on 17 September 1989. The hurricane destroyed a 180 ft stone jetty in Plymouth's harbour. Many other buildings, including schools, health centres, and the recently constructed central hospital building, were rendered unusable by damage from the storm. Given that the hospital was the only one on the island, and damages were extensive enough that all patients had to be relocated, a survey conducted by engineers from the National Emergency Management Agency of Trinidad and Tobago concluded that the hospital should undergo substantial redesign in order to ensure its structural strength could withstand future storms.

Volcanic eruptions and abandonment

Beginning on 18 July 1995, a series of huge eruptions at the Soufrière Hills volcano, which had been inactive for centuries, sent ash falls across a wide area of southern Montserrat including the capital, Plymouth. It was soon clear that the town was in grave danger. On 21 August 1995, tephra fell on Plymouth, necessitating an evacuation that lasted until 3 September 1995. Following renewed volcanic activity, on 1 December 1995 residents were evacuated for the second time. This evacuation lasted for one month before residents were allowed back on 1 January 1996.

On 27 March 1996, a series of hot ash emissions and pyroclastic flows began, marking the most dangerous period for the volcano up to that point. Areas nearest the volcano were immediately evacuated; as the volcanic activity continued to escalate, on 3 April 1996, Plymouth was evacuated for the third and final time. The island was divided into risk zones; during some periods, entry into Plymouth was prohibited, and at other times, it was allowed during daytime only to those with a means of rapid escape. The last time that access was legally allowed to Plymouth during daytime was 16 June 1997, with the exception of essential services. On 25 June 1997, a further massive eruption produced pyroclastic surges that killed 19 people and reached nearly to the island's airport on the eastern side of the island, which had remained open until that time.

Between 4–8 August 1997, a further series of large eruptions destroyed approximately 80% of the town, burying it under 1.4 m of ash. This hot material burned many of the buildings, making habitation nearly impossible for many of the residents.

The pyroclastic flows, lava, ash and other volcanic rock types were mostly compact, having a density similar to that of concrete. The removal of the overburden would have required the use of explosives, bulldozers and other resources too expensive for widespread use. It was anticipated that the soil underneath the hardened mud and lava would have been scorched and left completely non-arable by the intense heat of the pyroclastic flows.

The government ordered the evacuation of Plymouth, with the Royal Navy assisting by taking the population to safety. The entire southern half of the island was declared an exclusion zone because of the continuing volcanic activity at the Soufrière Hills. The government of the island was moved north to the town of Brades, although Plymouth remains the de jure capital. , a new port and capital are under construction at Little Bay, on the island's northwest coast. Daytime access to Plymouth has been permitted for some activities since about 2015, including sand and gravel extraction for construction projects.

The total destruction of Plymouth caused severe economic problems for the island of Montserrat. Plymouth had been by far the largest settlement on the island, with a population of around 4,000 inhabitants, and as such had been the site of almost all the island's shops and services, in addition to having been its seat of government. Some of the lost facilities were subsequently rebuilt elsewhere on Montserrat, but this did not prevent emigration. Between 1995 and 2000, two-thirds of the island's total population was forced to flee, many of whom settled in the United Kingdom, leaving fewer than 1,200 people resident on the island as of 1997. The population figure had risen to nearly 5,000 by 2016.

Geography
Plymouth is situated on the lower southwest slope of the Soufrière Hills Volcano. It is well within the volcanic exclusion zone, which is considered wholly uninhabitable.

Transport
The airport serving the island of Montserrat, W. H. Bramble Airport, was shut down completely by 1997 and subsequently destroyed as it was buried in volcanic ash. A new airport, John A. Osborne Airport, opened in 2005 at Gerald's, near Brades in the north of the island.

Education
In the pre-1997 period it was served by Plymouth Primary School, and Plymouth Junior Secondary School.

Notable people

 * Margaret Dyer-Howe, politician

title: Plymouth, Montserrat


text:
User:Lempicka

=Introduction=

Since discovering Wikipedia in 2003 I have been addicted to it. Firstly I used it for reference, but have since started to write my own articles. I'm sure you know what it is like to see all those red links that go nowhere, so I have become a Wikipedian.

My username, if you really need to know, comes from one of my favourite of artists - Tamara de Lempicka

My first article written for this site was for Clarice Cliff, the ceramic artist native to my own city - Stoke-on-Trent, another page which I have done a lot of work to. Eventually I hope to have everybody who was born in The Potteries linked up and written up, but that will take time.

=Articles Created=

Sport
Fred Archer (jockey); Filbert Bayi (athlete); Phil Bennett (rugby union player); Joan Benoit (marathon runner); Terry Biddlecombe (jockey); Martin Buss (high jumper); Cassie Campion (squash player); Henry Cecil (horse racing trainer); Susan Devoy (squash player); Steve Donoghue (jockey); Guy Drut (athlete); David Duckham (rugby player); Stephan Eberharter (skier); Pierre Etchebaster (real tennis player); Wojtek Fibak (tennis player); Sarah Fitz-Gerald (squash player); Robert Fulford (croquet player); Andy Haden (rugby union player); Ted Hankey (darts player); Rudy Hartono (badminton player); Franz Klammer (skier); Jan Kodes (tennis player); List of Squash Players; List of World Open Squash Championship Results; Hermann Maier (skier); Bronislaw Malinoswki (athlete); Michelle Martin (squash player); Heather McKay (squash player); Rodney Milburn (athlete); Carole Montillet (skier); Janet Morgan (squash player); Lisa Opie (squash player); Carol Owens (squash player); Rainer Schoenfelder (skier); Geet Sethi (billiards player); Phil Taylor (darts player); Pekka Vasala (athlete); Grete Waitz (marathon runner)

The Arts
Bill Brandt (photographer); Ossie Clark (fashion designer); Clarice Cliff (ceramic artist); Susie Cooper (ceramic artist); Terence Cuneo (painter); John Cunliffe (children's writer);  William Powell Frith (painter); Norman Garstin (painter); Pam Gems (playwright); Tito Gobbi (baritone); Norman Hartnell (dressmaker); Johannes Itten (painter and designer); Zizi Jeanmaire (prima ballerina); Charlotte Lennox (writer); Daido Moriyama (photographer); Edna O'Brien (author); Don Paterson (poet); Sandy Powell (costume designer); E.D.E.N. Southworth (author); Thomas Struth (photographer); Sidney Tushingham (painter and etcher); John Wain (poet)

Entertainment
Ray Alan (ventriloquist); Peter Brough (ventriloquist); Ronald Chesney (comedy scriptwriter); Charlie Chester (comedian and presenter); Peter Dawson (Australian bass-baritone); John Esmonde (comedy scriptwriter); Barry Evans (TV sitcom actor); Rikki Fulton (Scottish comedian); Errol Garner (jazz pianist); James Hydrick (illusionist); Laid Back (pop group); Bob Larbey (comedy scriptwriter); Dan Leno (music-hall entertainer); Sandy Powell (ventriloquist and comedian); Johnny Speight (TV scriptwriter); Peter Tinniswood (TV and radio scriptwriter); Ronald Wolfe (comedy scriptwriter)

History, Politics, Royality, Religion
John Baskeyfield (WW2 hero); Donald Coggan (Archbishop of Canterbury 1974-1980); Janos Kadar (Hungarian political leader); Edward Pakenham (British General)

Geography, World and Culture
Ibarra (town in northern Ecuador); Machala (city in south-west Ecuador); Manaus (city in north Brazil)

Other
Fiona Thornewill (explorer); Pierre Paul Riquet (engineer)

=Articles I have worked on=

Bob Black (Scottish comedy wrtier - stub created); Mastermind (list of champions); Port Vale F.C. (major updating); Slash (rock guiatist); Stoke-on-Trent (my home city)

=E-mail=

Contact me if you wish at [mailto:robert.jalberg7@ntlworld.com My Address]

title: User:Lempicka


text:
Gotska Sandön

Gotska Sandön (literally translated as "The Gotlandic Sand Island") is an uninhabited Swedish island north of Gotland in the Baltic Sea. It has been a national park since 1909.

Geography
Gotska Sandön is situated 38 km north of Fårö in the Baltic Sea. Legally a part of Gotland province, it is approximately 9 km long and 6 km wide, with a total area of approximately 36 sqkm. The island is part of Fårö socken (not to be confused with parish). It comprises the same area as the administrative Fårö District, established on 1January 2016.

On the northwest tip of the island is a church, Gotska Sandön Chapel. , Gotska Sandön Chapel along with Fårö Church belong to Fårö parish in Norra Gotlands pastorat.

During the summer, there are regular boat tours from Fårö Island and Nynäshamn on the mainland.

Nature of Gotska Sandön
The island consists mostly of sand and is dominated by beaches, dunes and especially pine forests. Aside from a colony of grey seals, the higher fauna is not very rich. Terrestrial or aerial mammals include mountain hares and bats. However, the island is home to many rare insects and plants, including the Kashubian vetch and several species of orchid.

Climate
Despite its isolation from sizeable landmasses, Gotska Sandön's oceanic climate is warm for its latitude. The Scandinavian Peninsula to the west, Gotland to the south and the Baltic landmass to the east contribute to warmer summers and frequent winter frost, giving the island a far broader temperature range than, for example, the similarly isolated Fair Isle, which lies one degree further north some distance off the coast of Scotland. In spite of this range, summer highs are cool by the standards of southern Sweden, and winter nights are among the mildest in the country.

Gotska Sandön has significant seasonal lag: despite dwindling daylight hours, August is much warmer than June, while March days are both longer and colder than those in December.

title: Gotska Sandön


text:
List of the most popular names in the 2000s in the United States

These are the most popular given names of newborns in the United States for all years of the 2000s.


text:
Mark Steel

Mark Steel (born 4 July 1960) is an English author, broadcaster, stand-up comedian and newspaper columnist. He has made many appearances on radio and television shows as a guest panellist, and has written regular columns in The Guardian, The Independent and Daily Mirror. He presents The Mark Steel Lectures, The Mark Steel Solution, Mark Steel's in Town and the podcast What the fuck is going on?. As of 2022, he was in a relationship with fellow comedian Shaparak Khorsandi.

Early life
Steel was adopted 10 days after he was born. His adoptive father worked in insurance and his mother was a housewife who supplemented the family's income through factory work and working as a lollipop lady. He had a close relationship with his adoptive parents. Steel told The Guardian': "I knew I was adopted, strangely, before I knew where babies came from. I didn’t feel different or special, and I don’t ever remember giving the slightest damn about it. I knew because my very lovely auntie Gwen would tell the story of how she got talking to a blonde girl, Frances, who had moved into a flat in the same house in London. She was 19. She was in a bit of a state because she was pregnant. Her parents didn’t know and she’d run away from home. It was 1959, so this wasn’t easy to deal with. So my auntie Gwen said to her, 'Well, I've got a solution. Have the baby and give it to my brother.' So this girl had me in 1960 and I was handed over to Doreen and Ernie."

He grew up in Swanley, Kent, and claims he was expelled from school for attending a cricket course without permission: "I thought, fantastic! The punishment for not coming in is that I'm not allowed to come in." He traced his biological mother later in life but she said that she did not want to know him, and died soon after. He learned that she was from a Scottish working-class family with an active involvement in left-wing politics; she had married an Italian and lived in Rimini. She had met his biological father Joe Dwek at a party in London. Dwek was an Egyptian Sephardic Jew whose family left Egypt after Gamal Abdel Nasser became president in the 1950s. Dwek had subsequently become a multi-millionaire trader on Wall Street as well as a professional backgammon player who won tournaments in the USA and Europe, and represented the UK against the USA in 1973 and 1974. After writing and emailing, Steel met Dwek only once, in a London restaurant sometime around 2006. In 2015, Steel told The Guardian: "Members of the royal family used to visit Dwek's house in London and he hung out with millionaires, like John Aspinall and James Goldsmith, at the Clermont Club [...] Just last night I discovered that five years ago he bought a house for $12m. […] He said he remembered Frances vividly but it [Steel getting in touch by email] was all a bit of a shock because he had made all the arrangements to have me dispensed with. But she took the money and didn't go through with it, bless her."

In the late 1970s his adoptive father suffered a mental breakdown and was placed into care at Stone House Hospital. Steel says that his first encounter with social injustice was when he saw how mentally ill patients were being treated in that hospital. The shabby conditions reinforced Steel's political beliefs.

Steel documented his early life, adoption and quest to find his birth parents in an audio book for Audible Productions - Who Do I Think I am? - which was released in December 2021.

Career
Steel had various early jobs including a stint as a milkman. He became bored with answering how he started in comedy and took to saying the first thing that came into his head. He worked the comedy circuit for several years, and acknowledges Alexei Sayle as an influence. In 1992 Steel presented the satirical radio show The Mark Steel Solution on BBC Radio 5, consisting of half-hour monologues offering solutions to social problems. It ran to four series. A comic autobiography, It's Not a Runner Bean, was published in 1996 which led to a column in The Guardian between 1996 and 1999. In 2000 he started writing the Thursday Opinion Column for The Independent.

He has appeared frequently on Have I Got News For You, Room 101, Mock the Week, the Graham Norton Show, and has made several appearances on Question Time. Mark Steel's in Town has won a Sony Award, Writers' Guild Award, Chortle Awards and British Comedy Guide Awards. In 2014 he won the British Press Award for Broadsheet Columnist for his column in The Independent.

He has written and performed several radio and television series for the BBC, and written several books including Reasons to Be Cheerful, Vive la Révolution – an account of the French Revolution, and It's Not a Runner Bean.

In 2015 he toured a show Who Do I Think I Am, about his adoption and tracing his biological parents. It was broadcast as a show on Radio 4.

In 2017, Steel was back on stage with his show Every Little Thing’s Gonna Be Alright.

Personal life
He has a son, Elliot Steel, who is also a stand-up comedian, and a daughter from a relationship that ended in 2006. He was married to Natasha Steel until 2016.

In October 2023, Steel revealed he was undergoing surgery after a diagnosis of throat cancer.

During the South Africa series in 2008 he was interviewed by Jonathan Agnew on Test Match Special about his love of cricket.

Politics
During the premiership of Margaret Thatcher, when he was in his 20s, Steel vented his objections to society's injustices via political protests, punk rock, and poetry.

Viewing the Soviet Union as "shit", and as a state capitalist system rather than truly socialist, Steel joined the Socialist Workers Party (SWP). He was present in Southall during the riot in which Blair Peach was killed.

In 2000, Steel took part in the London Assembly elections on behalf of the London Socialist Alliance (part of the Socialist Alliance) in the Croydon and Sutton constituency; he received 1,823 votes (1.5% of the vote).

At the 2010 UK General Election Steel co-hosted a fundraiser entitled "Laugh! I nearly voted" with Joe Lycett, Lewis Costello and Matt Green in support of left-wing candidates at the Dancehouse theatre in Manchester. Proceeds went to the respective campaigns of Gayle O'Donovan of the Green Party of England and Wales in Manchester Central, David Joseph Henry, the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition candidate for Salford and Eccles and Kay Philips of the Respect Party in Blackley and Broughton.

In February 2013, Steel was among those who supported the People's Assembly in a letter published in The Guardian. He spoke at a press conference to launch the People's Assembly Against Austerity on 26 March 2013, and at regional public meetings in the lead up to a national meeting at Westminster Central Hall on 22 June 2013. He also gave a speech at the People's Assembly Conference in Westminster.

Prior to the 2015 UK general election, he endorsed the parliamentary candidacy of the Green Party's Caroline Lucas.

Radio

 * The Mark Steel Solution (1992, 1994–1996) BBC Radio 5, BBC Radio 4.
 * The Mark Steel Revolution (1998) BBC Radio 4, (2007).
 * The Mark Steel Lectures (1999–2002) BBC Radio 4, (2007)
 * Dedicated Troublemaker (2004) BBC Radio 4
 * Mark Steel's in Town (2009–present) BBC Radio 4
 * What the Fuck is Going On? (2021–present) Acast

He has also contributed to or appeared on the following shows:
 * The Good Human Guide BBC Radio 2(1985). Contributing writer.
 * Extra Time BBC Radio 5. Presenter. Sports programme.
 * Late Edition BBC Radio 4 (1995). Regular panellist on this satirical talk show.
 * The News Quiz BBC Radio 4 several occasions from the late 1990s onwards. Guest panellist.
 * Loose Ends BBC Radio 4. Interviewee.
 * Midweek BBC Radio 4. Interviewee.
 * Excess Baggage BBC Radio 4. Interviewee.
 * Test Match Special BBC Radio 4. Lunchtime interviewee, 1 August 2008 - England vs South Africa, 3rd test, Edgbaston.
 * I've Never Seen Star Wars BBC Radio 4 (2008). Interviewee
 * Heresy BBC Radio 4, Guest Pannelist (2009)
 * Unite BBC Radio 4, cowriter and actor

Television

 * The Mark Steel Lectures BBC Four (2003, 2004, 2006). Writer and Presenter. Television version of his radio programme of the same title. Produced in association with The Open University.

He also appeared in the following shows:
 * Red Dwarf BBC Two (1989). Playing 'Ski-man' in episode "Timeslides" (non-speaking part).
 * Loose Talk (1994). Guest.
 * The Late Jonathan Ross (1996). Guest.
 * Does China Exist? (1997).
 * If I Ruled the World BBC Two (1998). Guest panellist.
 * Lamarr's Attacks BBC Two (2000). Guest.
 * Never Mind the Buzzcocks BBC Two (2000–2001). Guest panellist.
 * Have I Got News for You BBC One (2001–2013). Guest panellist.
 * Question Time BBC One (2003, 2005, 2012, 2013). Guest panellist.
 * QI BBC Two, BBC Four (2004–2006, 2022). Guest panellist.
 * Mock the Week, BBC Two (2005–2006). Guest panellist.
 * Room 101 BBC Two, (2006). Guest.
 * ''The Detectives, (1993–1997). Constable Pike.

title: Mark Steel


text:
Bandini (film)

Bandini (translation: Imprisoned) is a 1963 Hindi drama film directed and produced by Bimal Roy.It stars Nutan, Ashok Kumar and Dharmendra. The film tells the story of a woman prisoner serving life imprisonment for murder, Kalyani, the all suffering, selfless, sacrificing and strong, yet weak Indian woman. She must make a choice between two very different men, Devendra (Dharmendra), the loving prison doctor, and Bikash (Ashok Kumar), a man from her past.

The film is based on the Bengali novel Tamasi by Jarasandha (Charu Chandra Chakrabarti), a former jail superintendent who spent much of his career as a jailor in Northern Bengal, and wrote many fictional versions of his experiences.

Bandini was the tenth highest grosser of the year and was declared a 'Semi Hit' by Box Office India. It received critical acclaim and swept that year's Filmfare Awards, winning six awards in all, including the top awards of Best Film and Best Director, as well as Best Actress, and is still considered a landmark movie of the 1960s, especially being the last feature film of the director Bimal Roy.

Plot
The film is set in a prison in around 1934 in pre-Independence India, where Kalyani is serving life imprisonment prison for committing a murder, and we learn the circumstances of her crime in a series of flashbacks as she divulges it to the jailor. The film is set in Bengal in the 1930s, during the British Raj, where Kalyani is the daughter of the postmaster of the village, who falls in love with a freedom fighter, Bikash, who later leaves her in the village promising to come back but never does. Society treats them harshly. Broken by her father's misery and that of her own, Kalyani moves to the city, while the song "O Jaanewale Ho Sake To Laut Ke Aana" plays. In the city, she works as a caretaker of an obnoxious and mentally unstable woman, who turns out to be the wife of Bikash. Kalyani learns that her father came to the city looking for her and died in an accident. This prompts her to poison her lover's wife, identifying her as the cause of her miseries in a moment of insane rage.

Back from the flashback in the jail, Deven, the jail doctor falls in love with her. Kalyani is not ready for it and starts to stay away from him. They are always shown with a partition in between after Deven proposes her. Another symbolism used in the movie is the occasional shouting of "All is well" by the prison guard when nothing in the movie is; and just as Kalyani is leaving prison for good, she receives yet another ironic message from a jail official, "Ab ghar grihasthi ki jail mein qaid rahogi!" (Now you will be imprisoned in the jail of household!) In the end, she finds Bikash at a ship harbour where she finds him in an ill condition. She then decides to take care of Bikash and her love is again reborn.

Cast

 * Ashok Kumar as Bikash Ghosh
 * Nutan Behl as Kalyani
 * Dharmendra as Devendra (Prison Doctor)
 * Raja Paranjpe as Kalyani's Father
 * Tarun Bose as Mahesh Chandra
 * Asit Sen as Shambu
 * Chandrima Bhaduri – Jail warden
 * Moni Chatterjee – Inspector
 * Kanu Roy as Dr. Verma, Manorama Nursing Home
 * Sulochana Latkar
 * Hiralal as Superintendent
 * Iftekhar
 * Bela Bose
 * Satyendra Kapoor
 * Sulochana Chatterjee as Devendra's mother
 * Raj Verma

Production
The screenplay of the film was written by Nabendu Ghosh, who had previously done the Bimal Roy films Devdas (1955) and Sujata (1959). It was based on the story Tamasi by Jarasandha, pen name of Charu Chandra Chakraborty, a former jail superintendent who wrote many stories based on his career as a jailor in Northern Bengal, including many fictional versions of his experiences, Louha-Kapat (1953), Tamasha (1958) and Nyaydanda (1961), effective creating a new genre in Bengali literature of prison stories.
 * Writing

The principal photography of the film took place at Mohan Studios in Mumbai, with some parts in Naini Central Jail, Yerwada Central Jail and Bhagalpur Central Jail, and the climax scene on the banks of the Ganga River at Sahibganj, in present Jharkhand.

Music
The soundtrack includes the following tracks, composed by S. D. Burman, with lyrics by Shailendra. The film also marks the debut of Gulzar, who was working as an assistant director on the film as a film lyricist, initially having refused Bimal Roy on the offering, saying that he didn't want to become a lyricist, Gulzar relented only after the film's music director S.D. Burman convinced him so, and he wrote the song "Mora Gora Ang Lai Le", sung by Lata, in five days. The rest of lyrics are by Shailendra, who gave classics like the haunting "Mere Sajan Hain Us Paar" in the bardic voice of S.D. Burman himself, Mukesh's sad song "O Jaanewale Ho Sake", where Burman uses Bhatiyali with a variation.

The songs depict the situation, like a prisoner singing an ode to an imprisoned bird, "O Panchhi Pyare", sung by Asha Bhosle and Asha Bhosle's "Ab ke Baras Bhej Bhaiya ko Babul" composed in Raga Pilu, uses the folk idiom of a traditional song of a newly married girl longing for her maternal home, (maika), but being sung by a prison inmate of Kalyani, immediately conveys the irony in its placement.

Awards

 * 11th National Film Awards
 * Best Feature Film in Hindi
 * 11th Filmfare Awards
 * Best Film: Bimal Roy
 * Best Story: Jarasandha
 * Best Actress: Nutan
 * Best Director: Bimal Roy
 * Best Cinematographer: Kamal Bose
 * Best Sound: Dinshaw Billimoria

title: Bandini (film)


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User talk:Ghettobodhi

Hello there Ghettobodhi, welcome to Wikipedia! I hope you like the place and decide to stay. If you ever need editing help visit How does one edit a page or how to format them visit our manual of style. Experiment at Sandbox. If you need pointers on how we title pages visit Naming conventions. If you have any other questions about the project then check out Help or add a question to the Village pump. If you ever think a page or image should be deleted, please list it at the votes for deletion page. There is also a votes for undeletion page if you want to retrieve something that you think should not have been deleted.

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title: User talk:Ghettobodhi


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Cleavage furrow

In cell biology, the cleavage furrow is the indentation of the cell's surface that begins the progression of cleavage, by which animal and some algal cells undergo cytokinesis, the final splitting of the membrane, in the process of cell division. The same proteins responsible for muscle contraction, actin and myosin, begin the process of forming the cleavage furrow, creating an actomyosin ring. Other cytoskeletal proteins and actin binding proteins are involved in the procedure.

Mechanism
Plant cells do not perform cytokinesis through this exact method but the two procedures are not totally different. Animal cells form an actin-myosin contractile ring within the equatorial region of the cell membrane that constricts to form the cleavage furrow. In plant cells, Golgi vesicle secretions form a cell plate or septum on the equatorial plane of the cell wall by the action of microtubules of the phragmoplast. The cleavage furrow in animal cells and the phragmoplast in plant cells are complex structures made up of microtubules and microfilaments that aide in the final separation of the cells into two identical daughter cells.

Cell cycle
The cell cycle begins with interphase when the DNA replicates, the cell grows and prepares to enter mitosis. Mitosis includes four phases: prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase. Prophase is the initial phase when spindle fibers appear that function to move the chromosomes toward opposite poles. This spindle apparatus consists of microtubules, microfilaments and a complex network of various proteins. During metaphase, the chromosomes line up using the spindle apparatus in the middle of the cell along the equatorial plate. The chromosomes move to opposite poles during anaphase and remain attached to the spindle fibers by their centromeres. Animal cell cleavage furrow formation is caused by a ring of actin microfilaments called the contractile ring, which forms during early anaphase. Myosin is present in the region of the contractile ring as concentrated microfilaments and actin filaments are predominant in this region. The actin filaments here are both pre-existing and new. Cleavage is driven by these motor proteins, actin and myosin, which are the same proteins involved with muscle contraction. During cellular cleavage, the contractile ring tightens around the cytoplasm of the cell until the cytoplasm is pinched into two daughter cells. During the final phase of mitosis, telophase, the furrow forms an intercellular bridge using mitotic spindle fibers. Phosphatidylethanolamine has been shown to be present during this time, which indicates that it may play a role in movement between the plasma membrane and contractile ring. The bridge is then broken and resealed to form two identical daughter cells during cytokinesis. The breakage is formed by microtubules and the resealing is negated by calcium dependent exocytosis using Golgi vesicles. In comparison, the plant cell septum and the animal cell mid-zone are analogous. Both require vesicular secretions by the Golgi apparatus for resealing and formation of the cytoskeletal network, in addition to microtubules and microfilaments for division and movement. The cleavage furrow mechanism in animal cells is a complex network of actin and myosin filaments, Golgi vesicles and calcium dependent channels enabling the cell to break apart, reseal and form new daughter cells with complete membranes.

title: Cleavage furrow