Freemasons

john howard represents the Federal level of government

The Shriners were formed in 1870 in New York. Its founders chose to adopt a Middle Eastern or North African theme, calling their new club the "Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine." Fezzes were a popular headwear among Moroccans (the lack of a peak means that the hat can be worn while performing prayers in the Muslim style) and was consistent with the theme.

Although all Shriners are Freemasons, the focus of the organization is on having fun, rather than the more serious topics dealt with in the Masonic Lodges.

You need to be at least 18 years old in OK to become a freemason.

In many places, especially in Accra where there are lots of Lodges. See the related link.

No, President Obama is not a member of the Free Masons. Free Mason organizations and theirs alike report that he is not a member of their society.

Arafat was not a Freemason.

This depends entirely upon the Lodge which one wishes to join as a Freemason. Costs are usually broken into several components:

First, there are annual dues, which may also be covered in some jurisdictions by purchasing an "endowed membership" for life. Some kinds of Lodges have one-time dues; these are sometimes lodges which require you to already belong to a lodge. In some lodges, the annual dues on joining are pro-rated.

Second, there is usually a set of one-time initiation fees for each degree or for the set of degrees as a whole.

Third, there may be a contribution to charity, retirement homes, or Masonic buildings.

The best way to get a definitive answer is to approach a local Lodge and ask.

Freemasons are from many religious traditions. As a result, they all pray differently. In other words, Jewish freemasons will pray differently from Christian freemasons. The members of this fraternal organization will observe the same rituals during their meetings or events; but in their personal lives, they pray in whatever way their religion has encouraged. Freemasons do not tell their members what religion they should be.

No, Stalin was not a Freemason.

Female freemasons are very rare and almost unheard of outside of Europe.

The question makes very little sense. Freemasonry is a fraternity, it's odd to ask if a fraternity is a democracy. It's democratic, as the Master of the Lodge is elected by the members of that Lodge. But once elected, the Master has been given a mandate to run his Lodge as he sees fit, and can even rule as a dictator...until his term is up, usually after one year. But even the most authoritarian Master is kept in check by the authority of the Grand Lodge to remove him from office for serious transgressions, as well as the fact that if he's making the members of his Lodge unhappy, they can demit any time they want.

Although 15 past U.S. Presidents have been Freemasons, this is not a requirement of office.

Their symbols / logos are very, very similar: compass and square vs. calipers and square.

Unless the person specifically states that he is a member of the Freemasons, it is hard to know for sure.

This is a secret and so it can't be given. Otherwise, it wouldn't be a secret.

Because they lack understanding of who the Freemasons and Illuminati really are.

Good answer, and I agree, but it is also because of a tremendous amount of propaganda set against them, most of it being false.

On sokoine drive opposite the kilimanjaro hotel.

Freemasonry in Russia has a complex history. The first Masonic lodges were established in the 18th century, but faced persecution and suppression by the Tsarist regime. Freemasonry experienced a revival in the 20th century, particularly after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Today, Freemasonry in Russia operates openly but is still relatively small compared to other countries.

As of 3 January 2010, President George W. Bush is not a Freemason.

He is almost certainly not a Mason.

Freemasonry was declared a crime in Iran in 1979. The government raided lodges and the captured membership rosters were used by the Islamic Republic to persecute hundreds of Iranian Masons whose names appeared on the list. Iranian Masons were executed, imprisoned, and removed from positions in the government.

The short answer is no.

Unless the person specifically states that he is a member of the Freemasons, it is hard to know for sure. If it is someone you know, you should ask. If it is not, it is none of your business.

I have no idea, but one thing is for sure--if he is a Freemason, nobody "invited" him. Nobody can be invited to be a Freemason; you have to choose to be one uninvited.

A Mason is a member of a masonic lodge ( commonly called the blue lodge when discussing other masonic bodies ) while a Shriner belongs to the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. These are two separate organizations, however the AAONMS requires it's members to be Master Masons in good standing.