Scores Dead in Philippine Earthquake

At least 93 killed and buildings and churches damaged on Bohol Island and nearby Cebu province by 7.2 magnitude quake.

Miss Monde : la beauté triomphe des islamistes

Megan Young,  Miss Philippines : la nouvelle Miss Monde

leJDD: Une jeune Philippine de 23 ans a remporté le concours Miss Monde samedi, à l'issue d'une compétition que les islamistes menaçaient de saboter

Miss Philippines, Megan Young, a remporté hier le titre de Miss Monde, au cours d'une cérémonie sur l'île indonésienne de Bali placée sous haute protection en raison de l'opposition d'islamistes. La jeune femme à la beauté brune, plus occidentale qu'asiatique, a mis en échec cinq autres finalistes, notamment la Française Marine Lorphelin[.] La station balnéaire huppée de Nusa Dua, dans le sud de Bali, s'était transformée en Fort Knox avec quelque 675 policiers déployés. Les ambassades américaine, britannique et australienne avaient averti leurs ressortissants d'un possible "attentat" contre la compétition, sans plus de précisions. Bali, qui avait été le théâtre en 2002 du pire attentat islamiste qu'ait connu l'Indonésie, avec 202 morts dans une discothèque, craignait la colère des islamistes, qui avaient juré de perturber le concours. » | Karen Lajon - Le Journal du Dimanche | samedi 28 septembre 2013

Filipino Women Teachers Are Banned from Wearing Veils in the Classroom

MAIL ONLINE: Government bans Muslim teachers from wearing veils in front of pupils / Muslim Office claims so far no complaints have been received / It comes as France considers extending a ban on veils to private sector / Paris still counting the cost of riots after woman ordered to remove veil

Women teachers have been ordered to remove their veils when teaching in the classroom in the majority Catholic country of the Philippines.

It is the latest twist in the ongoing controversy over the wearing of the religious garment, that sparked a riot in the French capital Paris on Friday.

An order was sent out by the Filipino Government yesterday instructing female teachers to take off their religious veils in a move that was claimed would build a better relationship between teachers and pupils.

Education secretary Armin Luistro said it was part of reforms designed to make schools more sensitive to religion. Muslim schoolgirls will still be allowed to wear the veil in schools as well as 'appropriate clothing' in gym class.

But while female Muslim schoolteachers can wear the veil outside class, they have been told to remove the veil during lessons so they can interact better with students.

The order stated: 'Once the teacher is in the classroom, she is requested to remove the veil.'

It added the move would help aid 'proper identification of the teachers by their pupils, thus promoting better teacher-pupil relationship'.

It would also help the teaching of languages, where 'lip formation' plays a role in pronouncing certain letters.

The Government’s Office of Muslim Affairs said it agreed with the education department’s measures, although it had not yet received a copy of the order. » | Stuart Woledge | Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Philippines, Muslim Rebels Agree Landmark Peace Deal
REUTERS.COM: The Philippine government and Muslim rebels have agreed a peace deal to end a 40-year conflict that has killed more than 120,000 people, President Benigno Aquino said on Sunday, paving the way for a political and economic revival of the country's troubled south.

The agreement sets in train a roadmap to create a new Bangsamoro autonomous region in Muslim-dominated areas of the south of the mainly Roman Catholic country before the end of Aquino's term in 2016. Bangsamoro refers to Muslim and non-Islamic minority people in the southern Philippines.

Expectations are high that after nearly 15 years of violence-interrupted talks, both the government and the country's largest Muslim rebel group will work side-by-side to realize the promises contained in the agreement, to be signed on October 15 in Manila and witnessed by Aquino and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.

The two sides reached the deal for the resource-rich region during talks in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur.

"This agreement creates a new political entity and it deserves a name that symbolizes and honors the struggles of our forebears in Mindanao and celebrates the history and character of that part of our nation. That name will be Bangsamoro," Aquino announced via a live broadcast from the presidential palace.

"This framework agreement is about rising above our prejudices. It is about casting aside the distrust and myopia that has the plagued efforts of the past," said Aquino, surrounded by his cabinet ministers. » | Rosemarie Francisco | MANILA | Sunday, October 07, 2012

Philippines: Lady Gaga défie la censure à Manille
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: La chanteuse américaine Lady Gaga a donné lundi soir son premier concert à Manille devant plus de 40'000 fans, défiant ses détracteurs philippins et les menaces de censure des autorités.

La chanteuse américaine a donné son premier concert à Manille, lundi soir.

Les spectateurs, dont beaucoup portaient des tenues aussi tapageuses que celles pour lesquelles leur idole est réputée, l'ont follement acclamée lorsqu'elle a lancé à la foule: «Manille, je ne suis pas une créature de votre gouvernement».

Elle a enchaîné sur l'une de ses chansons les plus controversées, «Judas», que ses détracteurs philippins considèrent comme blasphématoire.

Le concert s'est tenu à l'Arena, une vaste salle de spectacles nouvellement construite à Pasay, un quartier de Manille.

Des spectateurs ont envoyé sur Twitter des photos de la pop star vêtue d'une longue robe jaune inspirée des tenues traditionnelles philippines pendant la chanson «Born This Way», un hymne gay. » | afp/Newsnet | lundi 21 mai 2012

Related »

Christians and Muslims Unite in New Bid to Silence Lady Gaga

THE OBSERVER: Fans defend singer's freedom of speech as Philippines protests threaten star's concerts

Christian groups in the Philippines have called for a ban on Lady Gaga's Manila concerts, alleging that her song Judas is an offensive mockery of Jesus Christ.

Youths gathered at a rally outside the mayor's office, chanting "Stop the Lady Gaga concerts", while members of the Biblemode Youth Philippines group called her videos religiously offensive.

In the song, she calls herself a "holy fool" who is "still in love with Judas", singing: "Jesus is my virtue/And Judas is the demon I cling to." In the video, Gaga plays a biker chick riding behind a man wearing a crown of thorns, while longing for another biker with "Judas" emblazoned across his leather jacket.

The singer is due to play the 20,000-seat Mall of Asia tomorrow and on Tuesday, and James Imbong, a lawyer filing a petition to ban the concerts, said Christian groups would not accept a compromise as organisers in South Korea did when Seoul authorities agreed to forbid under-12s from attending instead of cancelling the concert.

"She has a song that suggests that she wants to have sex with Judas and performs it with a dance," Imbong told the news website PhilStar. "Of course, it would be accompanied by a costume that has pornographic elements."

Manila's mayor has issued a statement ordering Gaga not to "exhibit any nudity or lewd conduct which may be offensive to morals and good custom", with the stark reminder that the penal code in the primarily Roman Catholic country of 93 million can convict anyone up to six years for offending race or religion.

Tens of thousands of Gaga fans, from Seoul to Jakarta, are campaigning for the singer's right to freedom of expression, after numerous attempts by Christian and Muslim groups to ban shows during her Born This Way Ball Asia tour, calling her music, persona and style the "work of Satan", "dangerous to youth" and "spreading unhealthy sexual culture". » | Kate Hodal | Sunday, May 20, 2012

THE GUARDIAN: Lady Gaga denied permit for Indonesia concert after religious protests: Police refuse to license Jakarta gig, saying they are unable to guarantee singer's safety following protests » | Sean Michaels | Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Islam in the Philippines

Philippines: Des hommes armés enlèvent un Suisse et un Néerlandais
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Deux touristes, un Suisse et un Néerlandais, ont été enlevés avec leur guide philippin dans le sud du pays. Leurs ravisseurs se sont enfuis en bateau.

Un touriste suisse et un autre, néerlandais, ornithologues amateurs, ont été enlevés sur une île du sud des Philippines, ont indiqué mercredi les autorités locales. Des militants islamistes sécessionnistes opèrent dans cette région.

Les trois hommes ont été enlevés sur une petite île de l’archipel de Tawi-Tawi et ont été obligés par leurs ravisseurs de monter dans une vedette, a dit à l’AFP un porte-parole de l’armée dans ce secteur, Randolph Cabangbang. Cinq hommes armés de fusils, de pistolets et d’un lance-grenade ont abordé le bateau qui les transportait et ont demandé aux autres personnes présentes - un policier qui n’était pas armé, le capitaine et un homme politique - de sauter par dessus bord. » | ATS/AP/Newsnet | mercredi 01 février 2012

Zahl der Taifun-Toten auf den Philippinen bei fast 1000
REUTERS DEUTSCHLAND: Iligan - Die Folgen des Taifuns "Washi" sind auf den Philippinen möglicherweise durch Menschenhand verstärkt worden.

Präsident Benigno Aquino setzte nach einem Besuch des Katastrophengebiet eine Untersuchungskommission ein, die klären soll, ob die Überschwemmungen und Erdrutsche hätten verhindert werden können. Ermittelt werden soll vor allem, ob ein landesweites Verbot des Holzfällens missachtet wurde. "Wenn wir wollen, dass dies die letzte Katastrophe dieser Art war, müssen wir aus unseren Fehlern lernen", sagte Aquino am Dienstag. Die Zahl der Toten stieg mittlerweile auf fast 1000. » | Reuters | Dienstag 20. Dezember 2011

Hundreds Die in Philippines Floods

Islam Invades the Philippines- More Filipinos Convert to Islam

Fault Line Under Philippine Capital
As the fallout from Japan's earthquake continues, the government of the Philippines is taking note. The capital Manila sits on a massive fault line, and there are concerns the city's infrastructure would not be able to withstand a quake.
 Al Jazeera's Marga Ortigas reports

Smoking Taboo for Muslims, Says DOH
PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER: MANILA, Philippines—Paging smokers in Muslim communities nationwide.

Did you know that aside from 40-plus cancer-causing chemicals, cigarettes also contain “secret additives” like pig’s blood and wine, which are haram, or forbidden under Islamic laws?

Dr. Tato Usman, head of the Non-Communicable Diseases Office of the Department of Health-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, on Wednesday made the disclosure during a news conference at the DOH headquarters in Manila.

Citing “latest findings” of the South Africa National Halal Authority, or Sanha, Usman urged his “brother Muslims to abstain from smoking tobacco products.”

Usman also warned against the many ill-effects of cigarette smoking to human health, noting that “one stick of cigarette alone contains 43 carcinogens, or cancer-causing chemicals.”

The DOH official referred to, among others, nicotine, cadmium, stearic acid, tolvene, ammonia, carbon monoxide, arsenic, methane, and acetic acid. >>> Jerry E. Esplanada, Philippine Daily Inquirer | Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Schwere Kämpfe im Süden der Philippinen
NZZ ONLINE: Hauptquartier von Abu Sayyaf erobert

Die Armee der Philippinen ist seit Sonntag in heftige Gefechte mit der islamistischen Terrorgruppe Abu Sayyaf im äussersten Südwesten des Archipels verwickelt. Nahe der Ortschaft Indanan im Westen der Insel Jolo, der Hochburg von Abu Sayyaf, verfolgten die Streitkräfte einen hochrangigen Kommandanten von Abu Sayyaf, als sie auf einen stark befestigten Stützpunkt auf einem Hügel stiessen. Mehrere hundert Soldaten versuchten daraufhin, die schätzungsweise 200 Abu-Sayyaf-Kämpfer aus den Bunkern und Gräben zu vertreiben. Dies gelang aber erst nach sechsstündigen zähen Kämpfen und nachdem die Luftwaffe zweimal Angriffe auf die Stellungen geflogen hatte. Laut dem Armeegeneral Ben Dolorfino handelte es sich dabei um das Hauptquartier der Terrorgruppe auf Jolo. >>> K P, Bangkok | Montag, 21. September 2009

Dignitaries from Around the World to Attend 40th Anniversary of the Revolution
THE TRIPOLI POST: Heads of State and Government from Around [sic] the World [sic] to Attend [sic] the 40th Anniversary of the Revolution.

President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela will be among a large number of heads of state and government will be visiting Libya this week to take part in the celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the Great Al Fateh Revolution.

Among these dignitaries there will also be Malta's President George Abela.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will also visit Libya on September 1.

A statement issued on Thursday by the Foreign Ministry of the Philippines the visit would sustain the excellent ties that have existed between the Philippines and Libya since 1976, when diplomatic ties were first established.

Also special envoy of Chinese President Hu Jintao, Jiang Weixin, also Chinese Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, is to attend the celebration of the 40th anniversary. >>> | Sunday, August 30, 2009

Gaffney: Embracing of Shariah?
THE WASHINGTON TIMES: 'Respect' should be a two-way street

President Obama on Friday reiterated for the umpteenth time his determination to develop a “new relationship” with the Muslim world. On this occasion, the audience were the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Unfortunately, it increasingly appears that, in so doing, he will be embracing the agenda of the Muslim Brotherhood - an organization dedicated to promoting the theo-political-legal program authoritative Islam calls Shariah and that has the self-described mission of “destroying Western civilization from within.”

As part of Mr. Obama's “Respect Islam” campaign, he will travel to Turkey in early April. While there, he will not only pay tribute to an Islamist government that has systematically wrested every institution from the secular tradition of Kemal Ataturk and put the country squarely on the path to Islamification. He will also participate in something called the “Alliance of Civilizations.”

The Alliance is a United Nations-sponsored affair that reflects - as, increasingly do most things the United Nations is involved in - the views of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). The OIC is made up of 57 Muslim-majority nations. Thanks to support from Saudi Arabia and its proxies, the Muslim Brotherhood has become a driving force within the Conference and their agendas largely coincide. >>> Frank Gaffney Jr. | Tuesday, March 17, 2009

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Saudi Arabia: Two More Filipinos Face Execution
INQUIRER.NET: MANILA, Philippines -- A day after an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) was beheaded in Jeddah for killing a Saudi national, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday said it is closely monitoring the capital case of two more OFWs that is now going through final court procedures.

In a press conference, Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Esteban Conejos said the case is one of 34 in varying court stages that the DFA is monitoring. He did not name the two OFWs or where they are.

"Since January 2006, the department under my watch has handled 64 probable death-row cases. Of the 64, 24 have been commuted. Of the remaining 40 cases, 34 are already filed in court and the rest are still in preliminary investigation stage," he said.

Since then, he said the other unsuccessful attempt to have a death sentence commuted was that of Reynaldo Cortez, who was executed June 2007.

At the same time, Conejos said the Philippine government has sent a note verbale to the Saudi government for the possible repatriation of the remains of Jenifer Bidoya, who was beheaded Tuesday afternoon. Saudi Arabia: Two More Filipinos Face Execution >>> By Veronica Uy | October 15, 2008

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Philippines: Muslim Unrest May Spread to Neighbours
ABS-CBN News Online: With peace talks between the Philippine government and Muslim rebels in tatters, analysts are warning violence will escalate and could spill over into neighboring countries.

President Arroyo this week scrapped the government panel handling the negotiations, a move analysts say ended any hopes of settling the four-decades-old Muslim insurgency before she leaves office in 2010.

They fear the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which had been negotiating for a Muslim homeland on the revolt-hit southern Mindanao island, may now splinter into smaller and more radical groups.

The government has said any future peace talks will have to be more representative of the people of Mindanao rather than just the MILF, which will have to disarm if it is to enter any future negotiations.

"No respected revolutionary movement will even think of handing over their guns," said Rommel Banlaoi, executive director of the Philippine Institute for Political Violence and Terrorism Research, a think tank.

He said the dissolution of the peace panel would lead the MILF rebel forces to resume their armed struggle on a larger scale, and warned the conflict could "spill over to neighboring countries like Indonesia, Malaysia or Brunei." Muslim Unrest in RP May Spread to Neighbors: Analysts >>> Agence France-Presse | September 5, 2008

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A Word of Advice to All Married Men: If You’re Having a Bit on the Side, Look After Your Kit!
BRISBANE TIMES: MANILA - A housewife in the Philippines today cut off her husband's penis while he was sleeping in their house because she suspected he was having extra marital affairs, a police officer said.

Police officer Rolly Lipata said 37-year-old Lenly Bayabado had long suspected her younger husband's infidelity, prompting her to cut off his organ.

Lipata said neighbours rushed the screaming victim, 32-year-old Joelito, to a nearby hospital in the Manila suburban city of Pasig after the attack.

Bayabado underwent several hours of operation so his organ could be re-attached, but hospital sources said there was no guarantee he would still be able to perform sexually.

Bayabado denied he was cheating on his wife and said he will not file charges against her because he wants to keep the family intact for the sake of their four children. [Source: Man Sticks by Wife Who Cut Off Penis]

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback - UK)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardback - UK)