Saturday, December 06, 2014
Arabien: Die Barbaren sind unter uns
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| Eine ägyptische Musikerin bei einer traditionellen Aufführung in Kairo |
Mit seiner Entscheidung, militärisch gegen die Extremisten des "Islamischen Staates" (IS) vorzugehen, begibt sich der US-Präsident Barack Obama mitten in das Chaos einer Zivilisation, die zusammengebrochen ist. Denn die arabische Zivilisation, wie wir sie einmal kannten, gibt es nicht mehr. Die arabische Welt von heute ist so gewalttätig, so instabil, so fragmentiert und so sehr von Extremismus getrieben – Extremismus sowohl von Herrschern als auch von Oppositionellen – wie noch nie seit dem Ende des Osmanischen Reiches vor hundert Jahren.
Alle Hoffnungen der modernen arabischen Geschichte sind enttäuscht worden. Politische Mitwirkung, die Wiederherstellung der Menschenwürde – die Versprechen aus der Blütezeit der arabischen Aufstände sind verweht. Zurückgeblieben sind Bürgerkriege, ethnische, konfessionelle und regionale Konflikte sowie die Wiederkehr eines militaristischen Absolutismus. Nur die antiquierten Monarchien und Emirate am Golf sowie möglicherweise Tunesien widerstehen vorläufig noch den Fluten. Ansonsten existiert in der arabischen Welt von heute keine Legitimität mehr. Und abgesehen von den Amerikanern und den Staaten des Westens, ist niemand mehr da, der den Schlamassel aufräumen könnte, den wir Araber angerichtet haben. » | Ein Gastbeitrag für Zeit Online von Hisham Melhem | Samstag, 06. Dezember 2014
Japon : Un quotidien s'excuse pour une publicité antisémite
Un quotidien conservateur japonais a présenté ce samedi 6 décembre ses excuses pour avoir publié une publicité pour les livres d'un écrivain qui prétend que les Juifs sont derrière le séisme et le tsunami qui ont provoqué une catastrophe au Japon en 2011.
La publicité en question a été publié le 26 novembre dans une édition régionale du Sankei Shimbun, un quotidien national. Elle concernait les oeuvres de Richard Koshimizu, activiste et prétendu journaliste qui soutient également que les Juifs sont responsables des attentats terroristes du 11 septembre 2001 aux Etats-Unis. » | afp/Newsnet | samedi 06 décembre 2014
«Les chrétiens sont en train d'être chassés du Moyen-Orient»
Le pape François a abordé les difficultés rencontrées par les chrétiens du Moyen-Orient dans une séquence vidéo, à l'occasion d'une visite du cardinal Philippe Barbarin au Kurdistan irakien, où des dizaines de milliers de membres de la minorité chrétienne ont trouvé refuge après l'offensive du groupe djihadiste, sunnite Etat islamique.
«Les chrétiens sont en train d'être chassés du Moyen-orient, dans la souffrance», s'est ému le souverain pontife qui a pointé la responsabilité de l'EI, sans toutefois nommer ce groupe qui s'est emparé de larges pans de territoire en Irak comme en Syrie voisine, selon le texte de la déclaration reçu par l'AFP. » | afp/Newsnet | samedi 06 décembre 2014
Franklin Graham: 'Islam Is a Religion of War'
Franklin Graham, the fourth of Billy Graham's five children, said he had not softened his stance since he controversially referred to Islam as a "very wicked and evil religion" in the wake of the 9/11 attacks in 2001 that brought down the World Trade Centre in New York.
More recently, he criticised The Episcopal Church's National Cathedral in Washington for permitting its first Muslim prayer service. On his Facebook page he wrote: "It's sad to see a church open its doors to the worship of anything other than the One True God of the Bible who sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to earth to save us from our sins."
His views contrast with those of the Pope, who on his recent three-day visit to Turkey was moved to pray alongside Grand Mufti Rahmi Yaran in Istanbul's Blue Mosque. Beside working to build better relations with Muslims, Pope Francis is also reaching out to evangelicals, a move which came about because of his friendship with the late Bishop Tony Palmer, a charismatic of the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches.
Franklin Graham told Christian Today that his own views on Islam remained the same as in 2001. » | Ruth Gledhill | Saturday, December 06, 2014
US Express Fears as Isis Takes Control of Northern Libyan Town
It is a warm October evening in Derna, a small town on Libya’s north east coast, 450 miles from the capital, Tripoli.
The main square is packed with young men, brought by a summons from the town’s self-proclaimed emir to swear allegiance to a newly formed Islamic caliphate.
The emir, on a stage just visible through the jumping throng, calls for the crowd to repeat his calls to join the a caliphate, to listen and follow orders, and to acclaim that the Islamic State (Isis) is here to stay.
To each call, they repeat the chant, roaring their support – and with that, the emir declares Derna the first town in Libya to join the Islamic State, making common cause with fighters in Iraq and Syria. » | Chris Stephen in Tunis | Saturday, December 06, 2014
Barack Obama Condemns ‘Brutal Murder’ of American Photojournalist
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| Luke Somers, a 33-year-old British-born US journalist, who has been killed in a failed rescue attempt. |
US president Barack Obama has condemned the “brutal murder” of American photojournalist Luke Somers, who was shot by his al-Qaida captors during a rescue mission by US special forces.
The 33-year-old was shot during the rescue attempt on Saturday morning and died while being transferred to a warship by American troops. A South African teacher being held with him, Pierre Korki, was also killed in the raid.
“On behalf of the American people, I offer my deepest condolences to Luke’s family and to his loved ones,” Obama said in a statement.
“As this and previous hostage rescue operations demonstrate, the United States will spare no effort to use all of its military, intelligence and diplomatic capabilities to bring Americans home safely, wherever they are located. And terrorists who seek to harm our citizens will feel the long arm of American justice. » | Martin Chulov in Beirut andEmma Graham-Harrison | Saturday, December 06, 2014
Friday, December 05, 2014
Tabac : l'achat à distance interdit
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Les députés ont voté vendredi, dans le cadre du projet de budget rectificatif 2014, plusieurs mesures réclamées par les buralistes, comme l'interdiction de tout achat de tabac à distance dans un pays étranger et une modification du calcul de la fiscalité.
Pour lutter contre le marché parallèle, les acheteurs sur internet seront désormais passibles d'une peine pouvant aller jusqu'à cinq ans de prison ferme pour trafic en bande organisée. En France, le commerce du tabac relève du monopole des buralistes, mais au moins une cigarette fumée sur cinq n'a pas été achetée dans le réseau officiel et échappe donc aux taxes françaises. » | Source AFP | vendredi 05 décembre 2014
Belgium's Former Queen Fabiola Dies at the Age of 86
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| Passed away: Belgium's former Queen Fabiola, pictured in 2008, has died at the age of 86 at Stuyvenbergh Castle, the palace has announced |
Belgium's former Queen Fabiola has died at the age of 86 at Stuyvenbergh Castle.
A statement from the palace today said: 'Their majesties the King and Queen and the members of the royal family announce with great sadness the death of Her Majesty Queen Fabiola in Brussels this evening.'
Foreign minister Didier Reynders said all Belgians would mourn her passing. 'A page in our country's history has turned,' he told Belgium's RTL television.
King Philippe of Belgium said he was left with 'great sadness' when he heard of the death of his aunt.
Although her exact cause of death has not been confirmed, Queen Fabiola, the childless widow of King Baudouin, had been suffering from osteoporosis for years, and had never fully recovered from pneumonia in 2009.
The former queen, who used a wheelchair, had looked increasingly frail over the past month as she increasingly limited her public appearances.
Fabiola was born in 1928 as Fabiola de Mora y Aragón into an aristocratic family in Madrid, Spain.
Her godmother was Queen Victoria Eugenia of Spain. She became queen of Belgium when she married King Baudouin in 1960. » | Annabel Fenwick Elliott for MailOnline | Friday, December 05, 2014
Luke Somers: Yemen Hostage's Family in Video Appeal
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| The journalist was abducted in Yemen in September 2013 |
In the online statement, his mother, Paula Somers, says: "Please... give us an opportunity to see our Luke again."
A man identifying himself as Mr Somers, who was abducted in 2013, appeared in a separate video on Wednesday, saying his life was in danger and asking for help.
The US has revealed it tried to rescue him last month.
"Regrettably, Luke was not present, though hostages of other nationalities were present and were rescued," the National Security Council said on Thursday.
In a video posted on YouTube, Mr Somers' mother and brother said he was "only trying to do good things for the Yemeni population".
"Luke is only a photojournalist and is not responsible for any actions the US government has taken," his brother, Jordan, said.
Noting that her son "appears healthy" in his captors' video, Paula Somers said: "We thank you for that." (+ video) » | Friday, December 05, 2014
Bill Maher: Comparing My Islam Criticism to Nazi Propaganda Is ‘Beyond Stupid’
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| Bill Maher |
Speaking with Sally Kohn, Maher discussed the controversy over his upcoming speech, scheduled to be delivered at University of California Berkeley on Dec. 20, which has raised the ire of students who created a petition to disinvite him.
The comedian has been under fire for comments he made during a contentious episode of Real Time in early October when Maher told a panel, including actor Ben Affleck, Islam is “the only religion that acts like the mafia, that will f*cking kill you if you say the wrong thing, draw the wrong picture, or write the wrong book.”
Calling the petition a “bullshit thing,” Maher addressed the students at the university — currently celebrating the anniversary of Free Speech Movement protests on campus 50 years ago — saying liberalism shouldn’t “squelch free speech.” » | Tom Boggioni | Friday, December 05, 2014
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