Kadhafi débarque à Rome avec ses cavaliers
Le colonel Kadhafi. Photo : Le Temps
LE TEMPS: Le leader libyen entame lundi une visite officielle dans la Péninsule pour célébrer le deuxième anniversaire du Traité d’amitié entre les deux pays

Cette fois, le colonel Kadhafi ne viendra pas seulement avec ses «amazones», ses séduisantes gardes militaires chargées de sa protection. Pour sa quatrième visite à Rome, dans la capitale de l’ancienne puissance coloniale, le leader libyen a prévu de débarquer lundi avec pas moins de trente cavaliers qui défileront mardi soir sur des montures berbères aux côtés d’un régiment à cheval de carabiniers.

Deux ans après l’accord historique entre Silvio Berlusconi et le «guide de la révolution» à travers lequel l’Italie a officiellement demandé pardon pour le passé et promis un chèque de 5 milliards de dollars de dédommagements payables en vingt ans, les deux hommes ont ainsi voulu célébrer l’anniversaire en grande pompe. Car, pour l’heure et en dépit de certaines critiques, le «traité d’amitié» entre les deux pays tient et produit les effets escomptés par les deux signataires.

Fin août 2008, à Benghazi, en Libye, Silvio Berlusconi avait ainsi déclaré: «L’Italie s’excuse pour les massacres, les destructions et la répression contre le peuple libyen durant l’occupation coloniale.» A la suite de cette déclaration, Mouammar Kadhafi s’était senti en droit, l’année suivante, de descendre de son avion à Rome en exhibant sur son uniforme le portrait du héros de la résistance anticoloniale libyenne, Omar al-Mokhtar. Une partie de l’opinion publique italienne avait modérément goûté la provocation. Cette année, le dirigeant africain devrait plus discrètement participer à un colloque sur les rapports entre les deux pays à l’ambassade de Libye en présence d’historiens et d’intellectuels des deux bords. >>> Eric Jozsef | Samedi 28 Août 2010

Anjem Choudary: Islam Is Not a Religion of Peace

Laura Ingraham's Beef With Michelle Obama
FOX NEWS: Radio host takes issue with first lady's nutrition agenda

Mayor Bloomberg's Faith Frames Mosque Debate
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Mayor Bloomberg was raised Jewish, but hasn't been known for wearing his religion on his sleeve. His defense of the Islamic Cultural Center and Mosque near Ground Zero shows that he's more passionate defending freedom of religion, than he has been in displaying his religiosity.



If Michael Bloomberg has been giving away these vast sums of money, he may well provide the money for the mega-mosque! That could well be his way of trying to affect a reconciliation of the Jews with the Islamic world. – © Mark

Electronic Cigarettes Under Fire
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Steve McVey and other e-cigarette makers say their smoking devices are a safe alternative to tobacco. The FDA says they should be regulated -- no buts about it. WSJ's Danny Yadron reports.

Well, Burn My Koran and Call Me Extremist
NEW ZEALAND HERALD: You'd think in America's bible belt there wouldn't be a big demand for copies of the Koran. But you can bet in Gainesville, Florida, they're flying off the shelves as fast as pregnancy tests after the school prom.

Because despite being denied a fire permit by the local fire chief, the Dove World Outreach Centre is planning a book burning session to mark the September 11, 2001 attacks. That's right, the church is hosting "International Burn a Koran Day".

It's anti-Islamic but it's not an isolated case. Muslims, who make up only about 2 per cent of the nation's population, are seeing their right to practise their religion challenged across the United States. And nowhere more than in New York's Lower Manhattan where plans to build a 13-storey Islamic centre have set off street protests and given Republicans a grandstanding opportunity that is too hard to resist.

Opponents, who say it is offensive to those who lost loved ones in the September 11 attacks, have labelled the centre the ground-zero mosque, even though it is more a centre with a prayer room and is two blocks away from the World Trade Centre site.

The American Muslims behind the project have given it the name Park51. No doubt opponents will point out that you only need to change a few of the letters around for it to read Death To America.

The Islamic centre will cost US$100 million ($142 million) and feature, among other things, a swimming pool and basketball court. If bomb-making facilities are planned, they've so far kept that quiet.

The driving force behind the project has been the Kuwaiti-born Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, who has been used by the Bush and Obama administrations to spread a message of religious tolerance in Muslim countries.

But to Republican Newt Gingrich he is an extremist trying to spread "moral confusion about the nature of radical Islamism". Continue reading and comment >>> Duncan Gillies | Saturday, August 28, 2010

Bloomberg Questions Motives of Mosque Opponents
FOX NEWS: New York City mayor claims uproar is due to election season



I wouldn’t trust Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf further than I could throw him! – © Mark

Converts to Islam: A Latino Muslim's Story


HISPANIC MUSLIMS: Reversion Stories >>>

New York Student Charged with Attack on Muslim Taxi Driver
THE GUARDIAN: Michael Enright, who volunteered in Afghanistan, accused of slashing neck and face of Bangladeshi driver in Manhattan

Ahmed Sharif displays his wounds from the alleged attack. Photograph: The Guardian
A college student who did volunteer work in Afghanistan has been charged with slashing the neck and face of a Bangladeshi taxi driver who said he was Muslim.

A criminal complaint alleges Michael Enright uttered an Arabic greeting and told the driver: "Consider this a checkpoint" before the brutal attack occurred on Tuesday night inside the yellow cab on Manhattan's East Side. Police say Enright, 21, was drunk at the time.

Enright is being held on charges of attempted murder and assault as hate crimes, and possession of a weapon. The handcuffed defendant did not enter a plea during the brief court appearance.

In addition to a serious neck wound, cab driver Ahmed Sharif suffered cuts to his forearms, face and one hand while trying to fend off his attacker, prosecutor James Zeleta said while arguing against bail.

Jason Martin, defending, told the judge his client was an honours student at the School of Visual Arts who lived with his parents in suburban Brewster, New York. >>> Associated Press | Thursday, August 26, 2010

Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani's Family Turned Away From Prison Visit
THE GUARDIAN: Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning was told by guards she had been abandoned by her children, says son

Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, right, pictured in 2004 at a nursery in Osko, Iran, where she worked for almost two years. Photograph: Family handout for the Guardian
The Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning has been denied visits by her lawyer and family, her son told the Guardian today, as it emerged that her lawyer has been subjected to fresh harassment.

Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani has been detained in Tabriz jail since 2006 and was sentenced to death on charges of adultery. She was acquitted of murdering her husband, but Iranian authorities have since accused her of being an accomplice.

Arriving for a prison visit yesterday, her son Sajad, 22 and daughter Saeedeh, 17, were told she was unwilling to see them.

Later, when she was allowed to phone her son, it emerged she had been told by guards that no one had come to visit and that her children had abandoned her, Sajad told the Guardian. "[The officials] have become obstinate – they are seeking just different ways to mistreat my mother and us as her children," he said.

Mohammadi Ashtiani's government-appointed lawyer, Houtan Kian, has been unable to visit her since she appeared on TV this month and confessed to involvement in her husband's murder. Human rights campaigners say the confession was made under duress. >>> Saeed Kamali Dehghan | Friday, August 27, 2010

About Muhammad the ‘Prophet’

Crispin Blunt Leaves Wife as He 'Comes to Terms with Being Gay'
THE TELEGRAPH: A Government minister announced today he had separated from his wife and was ''coming to terms with his homosexuality''.

Crispin Blunt, the Tory MP and prisons minister, said there was nobody else involved and appealed for his family's privacy to be respected.

In a statement, his office said: ''Crispin Blunt wishes to make it known that he has separated from his wife Victoria.

"He decided to come to terms with his homosexuality and explained the position to his family. The consequence is this separation. >>> | Friday, August 27, 2010

THE GUARDIAN: Jails minister Crispin Blunt reveals he is gay and leaves wife: Statement issued by Tory MP's office asks for privacy while he 'comes to terms with his homosexuality' >>> Owen Bowcott | Friday, August 27, 2010

THE INDEPENDENT: Prisons minister leaves wife after revealing he is gay: A government minister who helped to soften the Tory party's policy on crime and punishment was at the centre of a personal crisis last night after announcing he had left his wife to confront his sexuality.

Crispin Blunt, 50, the prisons minister, said he had told his family that he had "decided to come to terms with his homosexuality". A statement from his office said that there was no third party involved and asked the media to respect his family's privacy.

Mr Blunt, a former Army officer who is the Conservative MP for Reigate in Surrey, married his wife, Victoria, in 1990. The couple have one daughter and one son. >>> Robert Verkaik, Home Affairs Editor | Saturday, August 28, 2010

MAIL ONLINE: 'I'm gay and I'm leaving my wife': Tory prisons minister Crispin Blunt stuns MPs as he ends marriage of 20 years >>> Tim Shipman | Saturday, August 28, 2010

THE TELEGRAPH: Crispin Blunt: I'm gay and leaving my wife: Crispin Blunt, the prisons minister, has announced that he has separated from his wife so that he can “come to terms with his homosexuality”. >>> Robert Winnett, Deputy Political Editor | Saturday, August 28, 2010

150 Auschwitz Surgical Instruments Found in Nearby Polish Home
THE TELEGRAPH: More than 150 surgical instruments from the Nazi German Auschwitz death camp have been found in a nearby house in Oswiecim, according to an Auschwitz museum spokesman.

The gynaecological and surgical instruments were found in a house that was located inside a strictly closed zone surrounding Auschwitz during the war.

Describing it as “one of the greatest discoveries in recent years”, Bartosz Bartyzel said the instruments were most likely used by the physician Carl Clauberg. >>> | Thursday, August 26, 2010

El-Gamal – Waiter-To-Real-Estate-Mogul – Paid Cash for Ground Zero Mosque


HT: No Mosque at Ground Zero >>>

Mayor Seeks to Calm Cabbie, NYC After Stabbing

Allah's Little Benighted Helpers: NYC Islamic Center Gets New Support

Jimmy Carter Secures Release of US Hiker Aijalon Gomes from North Korea
THE TELEGRAPH: Former US president Jimmy Carter has secured the release of an American held in North Korea for nearly seven months after crossing the border from China on foot.



Aijalon Gomes, 31, left Pyongyang on a plane accompanied by Mr Carter, who had flown to the North Korean capital three days earlier on a private visit to negotiate the release.

The former president "courteously requested" a special pardon for Mr Gomes, which leader Kim Jong-il granted, North Korean state media said. Mr Gomes had been sentenced in April to eight years of hard labour and a hefty fine for trespassing and committing a "hostile act."

A committed Christian, Mr Gomes is thought to have travelled to the country on a one-man peace mission.

The[y] pair are due to arrive in Boston today to be reunited with Mr Gomes' mother and other family members.

In Washington, the State Department welcomed the news.

We "are relieved that he will soon be safely reunited with his family," State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said. "We appreciate former President Carter's humanitarian effort and welcome North Korea's decision to grant Mr. Gomes special amnesty and allow him to return to the United States."

North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency said Carter's visit included cordial talks with Kim Yong Nam, North Korea's number two official, [sic]

Mr Kim relayed Pyongyang's interest in resuming the six-nation disarmament talks and reiterated the regime's commitment to denuclearisation, KCNA said.

However, Mr Carter does not appear to have met Kim Jong Il, who was making a surprise trip to China. A year ago, Kim sat down for talks and a photo with former US president Bill Clinton when he went to Pyongyang on a similar journey to negotiate the release of two American journalists. >>> | Friday, August 27, 2010

THE BOSTON GLOBE: Boston man set free in N. Korea: Carter intervenes to secure his release; former prisoner to return home today >>> Travis Andersen and Farah Stockman, Globe Staff | Friday, August 27, 2010

Verbunden >>>

Are the Germans Losing Their Minds?
THE TELEGRAPH: A new restaurant in Germany has advertised for humans to donate body parts for the menu.

The online campaign by Flime in Berlin has called for diners to "donate any part of their body" as well as looking for an "open-minded surgeon".

However, politicians have condemned the restaurant for being a tasteless PR stunt according to Der Spiegel.

So far the location of the restaurant has not been disclosed.

"Members" willing to participate in the cannibal "Wari-culture" of the restaurant are asked to fill out a form.

It includes questions about medical fitness, Body Mass Index, how often one exercises and even if the donor is pregnant.

The restaurant claims to be inspired by the "compassionate cannibalism" of the Brazilian Waricaca tribe. Berlin 'cannibal' restaurant calls for diners to donate body parts for menu >>> Laura Roberts | Friday, August 27, 2010

Cannibal Restaurant Has Berliners Disgusted
SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: A restaurant soon to open in Berlin has disgusted residents of the German capital by hinting that human flesh will be on the menu and asking for people to donate body parts. Local politicians are not amused and believe it is a tasteless PR stunt.

What in the world is Wari cuisine? It is a question that many in Berlin have been asking themselves lately after a number of ads have appeared in local papers promoting a mysterious new restaurant. The future location of the eatery is secret for the time being, but the menu has raised eyebrows. Indeed, the restaurant's website is requesting donations -- of human body parts.

"Donors wanted! Become a member today!" reads an announcement on the website. On the menu page, the restaurant, called Flimé, is careful only to indicate "meat" without giving away what kind -- surely an effort to keep the ruse going. Those who want to become members must submit a form complete with responses about health and exercise habits.

"After the medical check, you can decide which body part you want to donate!" the website says. The form tells prospective members that "Flimé only covers the costs for hospitalization.... The designated use of the donated body part is free to Flimé." The German version of the website is also advertising for a job opening for an "open-minded surgeon." >>> cgh | Thursday, August 26, 2010

WIKI: Wari culture >>>

Waris practiced cannibalism >>>

The Worst Publicity Stunt of the Year? Putting President Obama on a Dollar Bill Is Simply Ridiculous
THE TELEGRAPH – BLOGS – NILE GARDINER: British graphic design firm Dowling Duncan has come up with a series of controversial ideas for the Dollar Redesign Project, an open competition run by New York designer Richard Smith (and not associated with the US government). According to their ambitious PR spiel: “we want to rebrand the US Dollar, rebuild financial confidence and revive our failing economy.”

The new garish multicolour notes conceived by the firm bear a striking stylistic resemblance to the Euro, and remove America’s Founding Fathers altogether. The company has proposed replacing George Washington with Barack Obama on the new dollar bill, and Benjamin Franklin with Franklin D. Roosevelt on the $100 dollar note.

Dowling Duncan, whose corporate clients include some big names such as Apple, Gap, Google, HP and Microsoft, obviously think this is a smart PR move, designed to win it global publicity and enhance its profile in the States where it has an office in San Francisco. But I very much doubt it will play well outside of diminishing left-wing circles on the East and West Coasts. If anything the publicity it gains with its Barack Obama stunt is highly likely to lose it business rather than bring in more revenue, especially in Middle America. Continue reading and comment >>> Nile Gardiner | Friday, August 27, 2010

Sleazy Cameron Thinks More of Himself Than He Should!
MAIL ONLINE: David Cameron is offering rich businessmen the chance to dine with him – if they give £50,000 a year to the Conservative Party.

Donors can enjoy exclusive lunches after Prime Minister’s Questions in the Commons, or meet the Premier at drinks receptions and campaign launches.

They can also mingle with other senior Cabinet members in what critics call a clear case of ‘cash for access’ – with the wealthy buying the chance to put their case directly to the Prime Minister.

It comes just months after Mr Cameron made a major speech attacking the murky world of ‘secret corporate lobbying’.

The donor clubs began when Mr Cameron was Leader of the Opposition, but the Tories admitted yesterday that the Leader’s Group, which allows businessmen to rub shoulders with the Premier, still exists.

According to the party’s website, for an annual payment of £50,000 ‘members are invited to join David Cameron and other senior figures from the Conservative Party at dinners, post-PMQ lunches, drinks receptions, election result events and important campaign launches’.

The group’s chairman is merchant 
banker Howard Leigh. £50k to dine with Dave: Wealthy Tory donors buy access to PM >>> Daniel Martin | Friday, August 27, 2010

This is not the way to conduct oneself as a prime minister. Such behaviour brings the honorable office into disrepute. Cameron is behaving like a second-hand car salesman; further, he has no understanding of the meaning of the word ‘democracy’. Democracy means government for the people, by the people, not for and by the select, rich few. Britain is neither an oligarchy nor an aristocracy. If this is the way Cameron is going to conduct the affairs of state, then we, the electorate, have been truly CONNED by this Conservative, by this sleaze merchant! – © Mark