Mikhail Khodorkovsky: Poster Boy of Russia's Opposition
In the run-up to Vladimir Putin's inauguration, Al Jazeera asked Mikhail Khodorkovsky what he thought of the return to the Kremlin. The former oil magnate, who was Russia's richest man before being sent down on charges of embezzlement and tax evasion, has been locked up for nine years. But as the protest movement has grown so has Khodorkovsky's influence on the political stage. His image appears on protest placards. His continued imprisonment is, according to the opposition and human rights' groups across the globe, an example of the judiciary being controlled by the state. Sue Turton reports from Moscow.

Bahraini Opposition Figure Speaks to Al Jazeera
Mattar Ibrahim Mattar is one of two members of Bahrain's opposition Al Wefaq party who have been arrested by authorities in the Gulf country.

Mattar is considered a moderate critic of the Sunni-led Bahraini government, and has worked closely with human rights organisations and journalists to uncover violations committed by the government since it launched a crackdown on anti-government protests.

Al Jazeera's correspondent in Manama, who cannot be named for security reasons, spoke to him.

Bahrain Bans Main Opposition Newspaper
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH: Paper critical of government accused of publishing "fabricated" reports about last month's pro-democracy protests.

Bahraini authorities have banned Al-Wasat, the country's main opposition newspaper, which has been critical of the government in its coverage of Shia-led protests quashed last month.

The newspaper did not publish on Sunday after a message on state TV saying Bahrain's Information Ministry had ordered the paper to shut down.

The state-run Bahrain News Agency (BNA) says officials accuse Al-Wasat of "unethical" coverage of the Shia-led uprising against the country's Sunni rulers.

The Kingdom's Information Affairs Commission also referred the newspaper for investigation, BNA said.

Al-Wasat has been accused of publishing "fabricated" reports last week about the "security developments in Bahrain". » | Source: Agencies | Sunday, April 03, 2011

Libya: France Becomes First Country to Recognise Opposition as Government
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: France has become the first country to recognise Libyan rebels as the country's legitimate government.

Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, met with two representatives of Libyan opposition's Interim Governing Council based in the eastern city of Benghazi, which was taken over by rebels in a deadly uprising against Moammar Gadhafi.

The European Parliament is encouraging EU member states to recognise the opposition government. The council representatives were in Strasbourg, the parliament's base, earlier this week, but EU policy is normally to recognise states, not governments.

Mr Sarkozy's office had said that the humanitarian situation in Libya and the actions of the Interim Governing Council were to top the agenda.

Meanwhile, Germany said it had frozen the assets of the Libyan Central Bank and other state-run agencies in an attempt to cut off funding to Moammar Gadhafi's embattled regime. >>> | Thursday, March 10, 2011

Iran Opposition Leaders Attacked as Regime Floods Streets
TIMES ONLINE: Iran’s regime sought to thwart another massive opposition protest today by turning out its own supporters in huge numbers, imposing draconian restrictions on the media and making the headline-grabbing announcement that the Islamic Republic was now a “nuclear state”.

Determined to prevent the so-called Green Movement from hijacking the biggest day in Iran’s calendar, the anniversary of the 1979 revolution, the regime also flooded Tehran with security forces who moved swiftly and violently to break up opposition demonstrations.

The opposition leaders Mehdi Karroubi and Mohammed Khatami - a former president - were attacked. Zahra Eshraghi, the granddaughter of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, leader of the 1979 revolution, was briefly arrested. She is married to Mr Khatami's brother and her own brother, Hassan, has made clear his hostility to the regime. >>> Martin Fletcher | Thursday, February 11, 2010

THE TELEGRAPH: Iranian opposition leaders and protesters attacked on anniversary of revolution: Iranian opposition leaders and anti-government protesters were attacked as crowds gathered to mark the anniversary of the 1979 revolution today, according to reports from inside the country. >>> Heidi Blake | Thursday, February 11, 2010

Con Coughlin: Iran Shows Its True Colours As It Marks the Anniversary of the Islamic Revolution
THE TELEGRAPH – BLOG: It is just like old times in downtown Iran today, with government forces battling to prevent anti-government protesters from voicing their opposition to the hardline clerics that control the country.

It was the same 31 years ago, when Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini established the Islamic revolution after his triumphant return from exile in Paris. Thirty-one years ago the street protests quickly led to summary executions, with Khomeini’s supporters setting up special courts to try those accused of trying to prevent Khomeini from establishing his Islamic dictatorship.

My fear now is that Khomeini’s heirs – people like President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s supreme leader – will resort to similar tactics as they try to suppress the pro-reform movement that has grown in strength since last summer’s hotly disputed election contest. Read on and comment >>> Con Coughlin | Thursday, February 11, 2010

THE TELEGRAPH: Iranian opposition leaders attacked during anniversary rallies: Opposition leaders were attacked and security forces flooded the streets of Iran's major cities on Thursday as the authorities put down protests they feared would mar rallies to celebrate the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Republic. >>> Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent | Thursday, February 11, 2010

France Socialist Party Opposes Burka Ban
BBC: France's opposition Socialists have come out against a law banning the burka - even though they remain firmly opposed to the garment.

The announcement comes ahead of a parliamentary report on the issue that is due out later this month.

Last summer, French MPs held hearings on whether to ban the Muslim veil, which covers the body from head to toe.

President Nicolas Sarkozy had said the burka was "not welcome" in France, home to Europe's largest Muslim population.

Mr Sarkozy has left open the idea of introducing legislation to ban the burka.

While the Socialist Party opposes the wearing of the burka, it was "not favourable" to a legal ban, said party spokesman Benoit Hamon. >>> | Wednesday, January 06, 2010

Iran's Khamenei Issues Stern Warning to Opposition
THE TELEGRAPH: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, warned opposition leaders on Sunday to distance themselves from protesters he accused of acting against the Islamic regime's late founder Ayatollah Khomeini.

Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi have faced mounting pressure since December 7 anti-government protests during which a poster of the late revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini was allegedly torn up.

"Those who shout slogans in the name of these people (opposition leaders), hoist their pictures and speak of them with respect are in a point which is the exact opposite of the Imam (Khomeini), revolution and Islam," the Supreme Leader said on state television.

"When you see this, step aside," he said in remarks addressed to the two opposition leaders, who he referred to as his "former brothers".

"I don't believe in purging, I believe in maximum attraction, but it looks as if some people insist on distancing themselves from the system and they have turned a family dispute into a battle against the system," the Ayatollah said. >>> | Sunday, December 13, 2009

Rebel Boycott as Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Endorses Ahmadinejad Re-election
TIMES ONLINE: Iran’s supreme leader has formally endorsed President Ahmadinejad for a second term amid a boycott by leading opposition figures.

State television broadcast images of the ceremony today with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei giving the President his seal of approval.

The country’s opposition leaders and moderates boycotted the gathering in protest over the election they claim was fraudulent.

State media reported that the former presidents Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami as well as the defeated pro-reform candidates Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mahdi Karroubi did not attend.

On Wednesday the President will take the oath of office before Iran’s parliament. Seven weeks after the election, however, the regime is still battling to crush the resistance of millions of Iranians who believe that the poll was rigged.

A new wave of protests linked is gathering over the “show trial” of more than 100 opposition figures detained in the crackdown that followed the ballot.

On Saturday, in an apparent effort to deter further protests, Iran put scores of opponents on trial in Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, accusing them of conspiring with foreign powers to stage a revolution. Yesterday it added ten more defendants. >>> Martin Fletcher | Monday, August 03, 2009

Keep the Faith: Should Muslim Children Receive Sex Education?
THE INDEPENDENT: A group run by a member of a radical Islamic organisation is opposing plans to give five-year-olds sex education.

In an underground hall at the London Central Mosque in Regent Street, a group of parents sitting on plastic chairs is clustered around a power point. A small, neatly dressed man at the front welcomes them, introducing himself as Yusuf Patel. "As Muslims we believe in values," he says, "We believe in haraam and halal, but sex and relationship education (SRE) teaching in this country does not provide this. It is the responsibility of parents to see their children educated, but not at the expense of these values."

Patel's organisation, SREIslamic, was established eight months ago to encourage Muslims to respond to the Government's consultation about whether to make SRE compulsory and extend it to five-year-olds. Since then, the organisation claims, it has held 40 workshops across the country and collected tens of thousands of signatures from Muslims opposed to the measures.

But Patel is not only a concerned parent and campaigner. According to his website, he is also a member of Hizb ut-Tahrir, an Islamist organisation that Tony Blair considered banning in 2005. Patel's brother, Jalaluddin, is the former UK head of the political party, which is barred in countries including Germany, Russia and Egypt. Should we be concerned that, like other far-right or religious groups in Britain, SREIslamic might be using a sensitive community grievance to pursue a wider political agenda?

Although Hizb ut-Tahrir says it does not advocate violence, it is opposed to Western-style democracy and believes in establishing a global caliphate under sharia law. There is no evidence of its involvement in terrorism, but some of its members have defended terrorist acts abroad, most recently when a member described Pakistani militants as "brothers". >>> Lila Green | Thursday, July 23, 2009

German, French Leaders Emphasize Opposition to Turkey Joining EU
HÜRRIYET: ISTANBUL - German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Sunday reiterated their opposition to Turkey joining the EU as the two leaders geared up for next month's European Parliament elections.

Merkel, who has advocated having a vaguely defined partnership with Turkey, said at an event organized by her conservative Christian Democrats before the June 7 European Parliament vote that "we cannot take in everyone in Europe as a full member."

"We have to talk about the borders of this Europe," she was quoted by AP as saying. "It makes no sense if there are ever more members, and we can’t decide anything anymore," she added.

"It is right that we say to people in the European election campaign ... our common position is: a privileged partnership for Turkey, but no full membership," Merkel said.

Turkey began EU membership negotiations in 2005, but progress has since largely ground to a halt because of disagreements over the divided island of Cyprus and strong opposition in some member countries like France, Germany and Austria.

Neither country, however, has blocked the talks, and Germany's other main coalition party – the Social Democrats – supports EU membership for Turkey.

U.S. President Barack Obama has also urged the EU to embrace Turkey as a full member.

Sarkozy, a longtime opponent of Turkish membership, last week advocated discussing a common economic and security forum with Turkey as an alternative.

"When Angela Merkel says Europe must have borders, she is right – because a Europe without borders would be a Europe without a will, without identity, without values," he said at Sunday's event, where he was a guest of honor as France's leading conservative. >>> | Monday, May 11, 2009

Le Vatican répond à Obama
L’Eglise catholique s’oppose à l’utilisation de cellules souches embryonnaires humaines. (Reuters)
leJDD.fr: Si la décision de Barack Obama sur le financement des recherches sur cellules souches embryonnaires humaines a contenté les scientifiques, l'Eglise catholique se montre moins enthousiaste. L'archevêque de Philadelphie s'est empressé de condamner cette décision qui permettrait de réaliser des avancées sur certaines maladies, et qui suppose la destruction d'embryons humains pour y parvenir.

La réponse du Vatican ne s'est pas fait attendre. Seulement un jour après la signature de l'autorisation de financement fédéral de la recherche sur les cellules souches embryonnaires humaines par le président Obama, le cardinal Justin Rigali, s'est empressé de dénoncer cette décision, qu'il qualifie de "triste victoire de la politique sur la science et la morale". L'archevêque de Philadelphie ne s'est pas arrêté là, déclarant que ce décret est "moralement mauvais car il favorise la destruction de vies humaines innocentes, en considérant les êtres vulnérables comme de simples produits bons à être moissonnés". Un jugement sans appel, et peu étonnant de la part du président de la commission pro-vie de la conférence épiscopale américaine. L'Eglise est opposée à l'utilisation de cellules souches embryonnaires humaines car celle-ci suppose la destruction d'embryons humains afin d'obtenir une lignée de cellules. Monseigneur Elio Sgreccia, spécialiste de la bioéthique du Vatican, a d'ailleurs affirmé que la décision du président Obama n'était motivée que par des raisons financières. >>> Par F.F. avec Reuters | Mardi 10 Mars 2009

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Broché) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Relié) >>>