We Should Embrace Our Heritage and Identity
CUMBERLAND TIMES NEWS*: To the Editor

When Geert Wilders, the Dutch parliamentarian, arrived at Heathrow Airport to present to the British Parliament a screening of his film, Fitna, the frightened Home Secretary ordered him deported. 



Lord Ahmed, a Muslim member of the House of Lords, had threatened descent of 10,000 Muslims on Britain’s Parliament if Wilders were admitted. Wilders’ short film is a compilation of video footage from various recent Muslim terrorist atrocities and its documentation has earned him death threats as well as the Home Secretary’s unwelcome.



Wilders appeared on Fox News’s The O’Reilly Factor recently, and during the interview he made a simple but profound statement. “I think we should embrace our identity and be proud of our Judeo-Christian heritage,” Wilders said. He is correct. 



Unless we do embrace our identity and take pride in our Judeo-Christian heritage, then America, like Britain, will cower in the face of evil tyranny. This, I think, is the most pressing issue facing America today — even more than the economy, important though the economy may be. Unless we define who we are and have the courage to proclaim it, we will lack the wherewithal to face future exigencies. 



America’s richness derives in part from its multicultured and multi-faith composition. But despite our varied backgrounds and faiths, most of us share an overriding belief that by some power greater than ourselves, we have been granted certain inalienable rights. >>> Louise Friend, Friendsville | Sunday, March 1, 2009

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Dutch Woman Sentenced to Jail for Threatening Right-Wing Politician
CRI ENGLISH.COM (China): A Dutch woman was sentenced to one year in jail and voluntary psychiatric care on Tuesday for sending more than 100 threatening emails to an anti-immigration and anti-Islam Dutch politician, Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf reported.

Selima I., 35, was arrested in January 2007 in an office where she used a public computer to send death threats to Geert Wilders, a member of the lower house of parliament.

The woman, a librarian from the southern Dutch city of Tilburg, was sentenced to one year in prison and compulsory psychiatric care by a court in September 2007.

But an appeal court ruled on Tuesday that the treatment might be more successful if she was treated as an outpatient and changed the compulsory psychiatric care to a voluntary one. >>> Ma Ting, Web Editor, Xinhua | Wednesday, March 4, 2009

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Generalísimo Francisco Franco Is Still Dead – And His Statues Are Next: Socialist Government Banishes Fascist Icons Though Nostalgia for the Dictator Lives On
Photo of General Franco courtesy of Google Images
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: MADRID -- Every Nov. 20, for the past dozen years, Sinforiano Bezanilla has visited a pigeon-covered statue of Gen. Francisco Franco to pay homage to Europe's longest-serving fascist dictator.

This year, the sculpture won't be there. Acting on a law passed by Spain's Socialist government, authorities uprooted the statue of the Generalísimo in December from the city square of Santander in northern Spain and banished it to the local museum.

"The left is attempting to rewrite our country's history. They base it on a series of half-lies, half-truths and outright lies," says Mr. Bezanilla. The 44-year-old municipal worker was just 11 when Franco died. But he has read volumes on the former dictator's ideas and is nostalgic for his regime.

More than three decades after Franco died and 72 years after he seized power, Spain is on a controversial mission to expunge the many emblems of its painful past that are still on public display.

The Socialist government says the assorted icons of the Franco regime still on view -- fascist-style eagles, yokes and arrows -- have no place in modern Spain. A year ago, it passed a law to eliminate them.

But the drive -- part of a broader law aimed at redressing Franco-era injustices -- has raised hackles among conservatives who say Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is reopening wounds they say were healed after the dictator's death. >>> By Thomas Catan | Monday, March 2, 2009

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Die saudischen Schiiten – Staatsbürger oder Ungläubige? : Unvollendete Integration droht in Konfrontation umzuschlagen
NZZ Online: Seit der Gründung des wahhabitisch geprägten Staates wird die schiitische Minderheit Saudiarabiens diskriminiert. Nach einer Periode der Annäherung an den saudischen Staat sind viele Schiiten ernüchtert und fordern grundlegende politische und religiöse Veränderungen.

tm. Katif, im Februar

An einem wolkenverhangenen Freitagnachmittag spielen in einem Vorort von Katif zwei lokale Fussballteams um den Sieg in der Regionalliga. Der Fussballplatz ist uneben, mehr Acker als Spielfeld, und wird von keinem Flutlicht beleuchtet. Spieler und Zuschauer sind Schiiten, denn Katif ist eine schiitische Stadt im sonst wahhabitisch geprägten Saudiarabien. Die meisten wahhabitischen Religionsgelehrten sehen die Schiiten als Ungläubige und erlassen bis heute Fatwas, die es erlauben, Schiiten wegen ihres Glaubens umzubringen. Da die Religionsgelehrten seit der Staatsgründung mit der Königsfamilie der Al Saud in politischer Symbiose leben, wurden die Schiiten religiös, politisch und wirtschaftlich unterdrückt. Einige der Zuschauer beklagen sich, dass diese Diskriminierung bis hin zu den Fussballplätzen reiche: «In Riad gibt es keine solchen Fussballplätze, dort ist alles hochmodern eingerichtet und wird von der Regierung bezahlt. Aber wir Schiiten müssen für unsere Sportplätze selber aufkommen, daher spielen wir auf diesem Acker.»

Die Opposition des Königs

Hinter einem der Tore stehen für die Ehrengäste Stühle und Bänke bereit, die Armlehnen einiger Sessel sind vergoldet. Auf einmal fahren zwei Geländewagen mit getönten Scheiben auf das Feld, und der Moderator verkündet durchs Mikrofon die Ankunft von Scheich Hassan as-Saffar. Dieser steigt aus dem Auto, begleitet von mehreren Leibwächtern, umarmt viele der Ehrengäste und setzt sich dann auf einen der goldenen Sessel. Saffar ist einer der berühmtesten religiösen und politischen Führer der saudischen Schiiten und vertrat in den letzten 15 Jahren oft die Interessen dieser Gemeinschaft gegenüber dem saudischen Staat.

In den siebziger Jahren hatte Saffar eine revolutionäre Organisation gegründet, die nach 1979 von Iran unterstützt wurde. Zur Rekrutierung benutzte diese Organisation unter anderem Fussballklubs, denn diese waren und sind noch heute eine der wenigen legalen Foren, in denen sich Männer versammeln können. Nachdem die Schiiten Saudiarabiens, inspiriert von der iranischen Revolution, erfolglos selber den Aufstand geprobt hatten, gingen Hunderte von Aktivisten ins Exil. Erst 1993 handelten sie ein Abkommen mit der saudischen Regierung aus. Der damalige König Fahd versprach eine Generalamnestie, die Freilassung Hunderter von politischen Gefangenen und eine langsame Aufhebung der religiösen Diskriminierung. Eineinhalb Jahrzehnte nach diesem Abkommen sind viele saudische Schiiten desillusioniert. Obwohl die ersten beiden Forderungen erfüllt wurden, fühlen sie sich weiterhin diskriminiert. >>> tm | Mittwoch, 4. Marz 2009

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Milton Friedman

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Krieg im Gazastreifen: Teheran fordert Kriegsverbrechertribunal für Israel
WELT ONLINE: Iran wirft Israel Kriegsverbrechen im Gazastreifen vor. Deshalb solle ein Tribunal eingerichtet werden, um die Militäraktion Israels zu untersuchen. Das forderte der oberste iranische Führer Ajatollah Ali Chamenei auf einer internationalen "Palästina-Konferenz". Auch Obamas Verhalten sorgt in Teheran für Unmut.

Foto vom Ajatollah Ali Chamenei dank der Welt
Der oberste iranische Führer, Ajatollah Ali Chamenei, hat die Einrichtung eines "internationalen Kriegsverbrechertribunals“ gefordert, vor dem die israelische Führung wegen der Militäroffensive im Gazastreifen angeklagt werden solle.

Zum Auftakt einer internationalen “Palästina-Konferenz“ sagte Chamenei in Teheran, „die Immunität des kriminellen Regimes in Israel“ müsse gebrochen werden. Auch Präsident Mahmud Ahmadinedschad sprach sich für ein solches Tribunal aus. „Wir brauchen eine vereinte Front gegen das zionistische Regime“, sagte er. >>> AP/dpa/lk | Mittwoch, 4. März 2009

AFP: Iran Calls for World Muslim 'Resistance' against Israel

TEHRAN — Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a rallying call to world Muslims on Wednesday to join the Palestinian "resistance" against Israel as he kicked off a summit in aid of war-torn Gaza.

His latest statement comes as US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meets Palestinian leaders during her first visit to the region since taking office.

Clinton was to meet Western-backed president Mahmud Abbas and prime minister Salam Fayyad in the occupied West Bank's political capital of Ramallah a day after huddling with Israeli leaders in Jerusalem.

"The only way to save Palestine is resistance," Khamenei said in his keynote address as he kicked off a two-day international summit organised by Tehran in aid of Gaza and the Palestinians.

"Support and help to Palestinians is a mandatory duty of all Muslims. I now tell all Muslim brothers and sisters to join forces and break the immunity of the Zionist criminals," Khamenei said.

He also called for putting Israeli leaders on trial for the recent assault on Gaza in which 1,300 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were slain.

"The political and military leaders of the occupying regime that played the role in the disaster of Gaza must be put on trial. This is the first step that should be taken," Khamenei said.

Iran does not recognise Israel and Khamenei has repeatedly refused a two-state solution to solve the Israel-Palestinian issue, a strategy reiterated by Clinton this week. >>> Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved | Wednesday, March 4, 2009

HAARETZ: Iran Leader: Obama Taking Wrong Path over 'Cancerous' Israel

Iran's top authority said on Wednesday U.S. President Barack Obama was pursuing the same "wrong path" as George W. Bush in supporting Israel, which it called a "cancerous tumor."

The comments by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on policy in the Islamic Republic, are likely to disappoint the new U.S. administration which wants to engage Iran but has called on Tehran to "unclench its fist."

"Even the new president of America, who has come to power with slogans about changing Bush's policies, is defending state terrorism by talking about unconditional commitment to Israel's security," Khamenei said.

Khamenei, speaking at a conference on the Palestinian issue in Tehran, said Obama was following the same "wrong path" of his predecessor in the White House. >>> Reuters | Wednesday, March 4, 2009

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Le «retour» de Bush
 divise le Canada
LE FIGARO: L'ancien président américain prononcera le 17 mars à Calgary sa première conférence à l'étranger. Des Canadiens s'opposent à sa venue.

Photo de George W. Bush grâce au Figaro
«Une conversation avec Geor­ge W. Bush» : tel est le thème du premier discours d'une série de dix allocutions que l'ancien chef de la Maison-Blanche donnera au Ca­nada, en Europe et en Asie à compter du 17 mars. Le palais des congrès de Calgary, la métropole de l'Alberta, attend 1 500 convives pour un déjeuner-conférence pendant lequel l'ancien président évoquera «ses huit importantes années passées à la Maison-Blanche et donnera son opinion sur les défis de la planète au XXIe siècle».

150 000 dollars de cachet

«L'Alberta est une province très conservatrice et Bush y est considéré comme quelqu'un de très proche de l'industrie pétrolière. Il a choisi un lieu sûr pour tester son image», explique au quotidien Calgary Herald l'analyste politique David Taras, tout en précisant que l'ex-dirigeant des États-Unis est perçu au Canada comme un «président raté».

Si les organisateurs de l'événement refusent de dévoiler le cachet de Bush, celui-ci est évalué par plusieurs sources à 150 000 dollars. Dans son livre Dead Certain («Sans l'ombre d'un doute»), le journaliste Robert Draper rapporte ces propos de l'ex-chef de l'État américain : «Je ne sais pas combien gagne mon père, mais c'est plus de 50 000 ou 75 000 dollars par discours. Clinton gagne aussi beaucoup d'argent.»

La visite de George Bush devrait être perturbée par de nombreux manifestants. Depuis l'invasion de l'Irak en 2003, la population canadienne a montré de l'hostilité envers le prédécesseur de Barack Obama. >>> Ludovic Hirtzmann, Montréal | Mardi 03 Mars 2009

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Soon It Will Be Prime Minister Wilders!
THE TELEGRAPH: Britain's controversial ban on the anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders has pushed his Freedom Party into the lead for the first time, according to Dutch opinion polls.

Geert Wilders. The next premier of the Netherlands? Photo courtesy of The Telegraph
Mr Wilders has benefited from the publicity provided by Dutch and international headlines that followed a decision last month to ban him from showing his anti-Muslim film, Fitna, in the House of Lords.

His attempt to enter Britain, his detention and subsequent deportation, following an order by Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, have made the Dutch MP into a free speech martyr and celebrity in the Netherlands.

New opinion polling now puts Mr Wilders ahead of the Christian Democrats, who lead a coalition government.

"How happy I am about this. These are of course just polls, but it is an enormous sign of confidence from the Dutch voter," said Mr Wilders.

"As far as I am concerned, elections can be held tomorrow, then I will be the next premier". Geert Wilders Leads Dutch Polls >>> By Bruno Waterfield in Brussels | Tuesday, March 3, 2009

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Nicolas Sarkozy menacé de mort
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: FRANCE | Le président Nicolas Sarkozy ainsi que plusieurs élus et ministres UMP, dont Rachida Dati et Michèle Alliot-Marie, ont reçu au cours des dernières semaines un courrier anonyme les menaçant de mort

Photos grâce au Figaro
Le président Nicolas Sarkozy ainsi que plusieurs élus et ministres UMP, dont Rachida Dati et Michèle Alliot-Marie, ont reçu au cours des dernières semaines un courrier anonyme les menaçant de mort, accompagné d’une balle de calibre 38 (9mm). La section antiterroriste du parquet de Paris, a-t-on appris mardi de sources judiciaires, a été saisie de l’enquête.

Le courrier, une lettre-type, consiste en deux pages dactylographiées de propos décousus, explique-t-on de sources judiciaires. Il s’adresse aux ministres, députés et sénateurs "pourvoyeurs de lois liberticides, de lois fachistes", les accuse de distiller la haine. On ignore pour le moment d’où ont été expédiées ces lettres.

Au total, dix noms de personnalités politiques sont cités dans ce courrier, dont six l’ont reçu: le senateur-maire UMP de Béziers (Hérault) Raymond Couderc, le 9 février, le président Nicolas Sarkozy, le sénateur-maire de La Canourgue (Lozère) Jacques Blanc, la ministre de l’Intérieur Michèle Alliot-Marie, la ministre de la Justice Rachida Dati la semaine dernière et le maire de Bordeaux Alain Juppé lundi. >>> AP | Mardi 03 Mars 2009

TAGES ANZEIGER: Dati erhielt mysteriösen Drohbrief mit Kugeln

Unbekannte verschicken in Frankreich eine ganze Serie von Morddrohungen an konservative Politiker. Von den Tätern fehlt noch jede Spur.

Foto von Rachida Dati dank dem Tages Anzeiger
Die jüngsten Empfänger von anonymen Drohbriefen, die mit Neun-Millimeter-Kugeln gefüllt waren: Justizministerin Rachida Dati und Innenministerin Michèle Alliot-Marie. Bisher habe man noch keine Hinweise auf die Absender, hiess es aus Justizkreisen. >>> vin/ap | Dienstag, 3. März 2009

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Brown Goes a-Brown-nosing!
THE TELEGRAPH: US president Barack Obama has reaffirmed his belief in the special relationship between Britain and America following talks with Prime Minister Gordon Brown at the White House.

Photo of Obama and Brown together in the White House courtesy of The Telegraph
Sitting alongside Mr Brown in the Oval Office, Mr Obama said Britain's friendship to the US in Iraq and Afghanistan would not be forgotten.

He added: "Great Britain is one of our closest and strongest allies and there is a link and bond there that will not break."

The president was speaking after around an hour of talks which were dominated by the economy, with both men agreeing that improvements were needed to the regulation of the global banking system.

Mr Obama said: "The relationship is not only special and strong but will only get stronger as time goes on."

Mr Brown became the first European leader to hold talks with Mr Obama since his inauguration in January. Barack Obama Reaffirms Belief in 'Special Relationship' with Britain >>> | Tuesday, March 3, 2009

MAIL Online: Downing St Left Embarrassed after President Obama Scales Down First Meeting with Brown

Downing Street was left scrambling to avoid a diplomatic embarrassment today after the White House ruled out a formal press conference to mark Gordon Brown's first formal meeting with Barack Obama.

Officials denied the Prime Minister was being snubbed after it emerged that the new president would not make himself available for the traditional joint appearance before the White House media.

Mr Brown's aides are trying to make the best of what is a distinctly low key visit compared to the family hospitality lavished on Tony Blair by George Bush when they met for the first time. >>> By Benedict Brogan | Tuesday, March 3, 2009

DAILY EXPRESS: Not So Big After All? Brown Snubbed by Obama

GORDON Brown was left red-faced today after he was snubbed by new American president Barack Obama – at their first formal meeting.

The prime minister arrived in the US today expecting a full press conference in front of the world’s media to mark the event. 



But he touched down on America soil to be told by the White House that it would be a much more scaled down affair - in the Oval Office. 



The embarrassment for Downing Street comes after Obama sent a bust of Sir Winston Churchill back to Britain - despite it enjoying pride of place in the Oval Office for nearly 10 years. 



Today White House authorities defended the schedule change for the two leaders, claiming the new arrangement was 'more intimate'. >>> By Julia White | Tuesday, March 3, 2009

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Synagogue Hails Dutch Lawmaker as a Hero
BALTIMORE JEWISH TIMES: In his home continent, Dutch politician Geert Wilders is something of a pariah, banned from the United Kingdom and facing prosecution in the Netherlands for his harsh views of Islam.

His calls to end immigration from Muslim countries and ban the Koran—he compared it to Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” and said it incites to violence—have earned him broad condemnation in Europe and forced him under the protection of a security detail, a rarity for Dutch leaders.

But in some quarters of the American Jewish community, Wilders is more akin to a hero. At the very least, he was greeted as such by about 250 people last week at a Conservative synagogue in this Boston-area town.

The boisterous crowd at the Ahavath Torah Congregation gave Wilders, who heads the Dutch Party for Freedom and serves in the parliament, a standing ovation and shouted “Bravo” at the conclusion of his speech. >>> Penny Schwartz, Stoughton, Mass., JTA Wire Service | Monday, March 2, 2009

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The Obama Economy
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: As the Dow keeps dropping, the President is running out of people to blame.

As 2009 opened, three weeks before Barack Obama took office, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 9034 on January 2, its highest level since the autumn panic. Yesterday the Dow fell another 4.24% to 6763, for an overall decline of 25% in two months and to its lowest level since 1997. The dismaying message here is that President Obama's policies have become part of the economy's problem.

Americans have welcomed the Obama era in the same spirit of hope the President campaigned on. But after five weeks in office, it's become clear that Mr. Obama's policies are slowing, if not stopping, what would otherwise be the normal process of economic recovery. From punishing business to squandering scarce national public resources, Team Obama is creating more uncertainty and less confidence -- and thus a longer period of recession or subpar growth.

The Democrats who now run Washington don't want to hear this, because they benefit from blaming all bad economic news on President Bush. And Mr. Obama has inherited an unusual recession deepened by credit problems, both of which will take time to climb out of. But it's also true that the economy has fallen far enough, and long enough, that much of the excess that led to recession is being worked off. Already 15 months old, the current recession will soon match the average length -- and average job loss -- of the last three postwar downturns. What goes down will come up -- unless destructive policies interfere with the sources of potential recovery.

And those sources have been forming for some time. The price of oil and other commodities have fallen by two-thirds since their 2008 summer peak, which has the effect of a major tax cut. The world is awash in liquidity, thanks to monetary ease by the Federal Reserve and other central banks. Monetary policy operates with a lag, but last year's easing will eventually stir economic activity.

Housing prices have fallen 27% from their Case-Shiller peak, or some two-thirds of the way back to their historical trend. While still high, credit spreads are far from their peaks during the panic, and corporate borrowers are again able to tap the credit markets. As equities were signaling with their late 2008 rally and January top, growth should under normal circumstances begin to appear in the second half of this year.

So what has happened in the last two months? The economy has received no great new outside shock. Exchange rates and other prices have been stable, and there are no security crises of note. The reality of a sharp recession has been known and built into stock prices since last year's fourth quarter.

What is new is the unveiling of Mr. Obama's agenda and his approach to governance. Every new President has a finite stock of capital -- financial and political -- to deploy, and amid recession Mr. Obama has more than most. But one negative revelation has been the way he has chosen to spend his scarce resources on income transfers rather than growth promotion. Most of his "stimulus" spending was devoted to social programs, rather than public works, and nearly all of the tax cuts were devoted to income maintenance rather than to improving incentives to work or invest. >>> | Tuesday, March 3, 2009

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Jihad TV in Europe
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: It's time to shut down Hezbollah and Hamas broadcasts to the Continent.

Their propaganda notwithstanding, Hamas and, two years ago, Hezbollah suffered devastating military defeats that may diminish their ability to attack Israel with rocket fire. But these Iranian-backed terrorist organizations are deploying another dangerous weapon in their war against Western democracies -- terrorist television stations.

Thanks to Arab satellite companies, Hezbollah's al-Manar and Hamas's al-Aqsa TV stations can still beam their incitement and hatred into European living rooms, radicalizing Muslim immigrants throughout the Continent.

Al-Manar, however, is not a mere propaganda tool. Founded in 1991 by Hezbollah guerillas, it is an operational weapon in the hands of a deadly terrorist organization. Following a 2006 letter to then-President George W. Bush signed by a majority of the U.S. Senate, including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, the U.S. Treasury Department designated al-Manar as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity. This designation placed, for the first time, a media outlet on the same terrorism list as al Qaeda, Hamas and Hezbollah itself.

The designation highlighted the role of al-Manar as more than just a station with objectionable content. The Hezbollah outlet was actively involved in recruiting and fund raising for Hezbollah, and providing preoperational surveillance for terror attacks. Undersecretary of Treasury Stuart Levey has observed that al-Manar is an "entity maintained by a terrorist group" and is therefore "as culpable as the terrorist group itself." >>> By Mark Dubowitz and Roberta Bonazzi | Wednesday, February 18, 2009

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Islam erobert Österreich!

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Saudi Man Beheaded for Killing Father
IOL.CO.ZA: Riyadh - A Saudi man was beheaded in the Muslim holy city of Medina after being sentenced to death for killing his father, the interior ministry said.



Ahmad al-Khyeeri was put to death on Monday for shooting his father in a dispute, the ministry said in a statement on the official SPA news agency.



The announcement did not say when the murder occurred.



The beheading brought to 13 the number of executions announced by the Saudi authorities since the beginning of the year.


A total of 102 people were executed last year and a record 153 in 2007.



Under Saudi Arabia's strict sharia system of Islamic justice, the death penalty can be applied to crimes of rape, murder, apostasy, armed robbery and drug trafficking. [Source: IOL.co.za] AFP | Tuesday, March 3, 2009

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As If We Needed the Archbishop of Canterbury to Tell Us This!
THE TELEGRAPH: The recession could lead to an increase in support for right-wing political groups, the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams has warned.

Dr Williams said that public anger, caused by rising unemployment and falling house prices, may lead to xenophobia and prejudice.

He claimed the recent election of a British National Party councillor in Kent was a warning sign that must not be ignored.

His comments come amid growing concern about the social unrest that could be triggered by the worsening economy.

Last week it emerged that riot police fear Britain is heading for a "summer of rage" as middle-class victims of the recession join activists to hold mass protests outside bank headquarters.

Thousands of workers at oil refineries and power stations across the country staged walkouts recently after Italian and Portuguese staff were given jobs at Lindsey Oil Refinery in North Lincolnshire ahead of local workers.

A leaked Home Office memo written last year also predicted that crime and racial tensions will rise during the recession, while funding cuts could make it more difficult for police to cope.

The letter written by Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, warned that financial hardship could increase hostility towards immigrants and drive voters into the arms of the far-right BNP – which could in turn see victims of racism turn to terrorism. >>> By Martin Beckford, Religious Affairs Correspondent | Tuesday, March 3, 2009

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Frank Gaffney: Coalition to Stop Shariah

YOU TUBE: Al-Jazeera Reporter Asks about Shariah-Finance


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Shariah Finance

Ophir Falk – Opinion: No Nonsense Government
YNET NEWS: Netanyahu fully understands he must tackle key issues of our time

Photo of Bibi Netanyahu courtesy of YNet News
Winston Churchill was probably the greatest leader of the 20th century. Yet, while leading his people during the dark days of the Battle of Britain and on various other fronts, he earned little recognition from his constituency, losing their vote after the war. Years after the dust of World War II had settled, the British people acknowledged his feats and re-elected him for office.

It is no coincidence that a black-and-white portrait of the legendary British PM decorates the desk of Israel's prime minister-designate. Benjamin Netanyahu's first term as PM from 1996 to 1999 will not be remembered as Israel's finest hour, but he is determined to make his upcoming term just that.

Raised in an ultra-Zionist home, Netanyahu is a leader with vision and historic perspective. He fully understands that he has the responsibility and opportunity to tackle the key issues of our time, most and foremost ensuring Israel’s security and prosperity.

On February 10th 2009, the people of Israel spoke at the ballots. Some were at first reluctant to understand the statement made but today matters are clearer to all. Benjamin Netanyahu was given a clear mandate to form a government and steer Israel in the right direction.

There is a wide public consensus concerning the challenges that Israel must address immediately. Topping the list are a) confronting the Iranian threat; b) dismantling the Hamas threat; and c) preventing a deep economic depression.

The establishment of a Palestinian state is not on that list. >>> Ophir Falk | Monday, March 2, 2009

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Hillary Clinton en mission impossible au Proche-Orient
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: ANALYSE | Hier en Egypte pour financer la reconstruction de Gaza sans favoriser le Hamas. Aujourd’hui à Jérusalem pour faire plier Netanyahou. Demain à Ramallah pour tenter de sauver le président palestinien. La cheffe de la diplomatie américaine ne fait pas sa première visite sous les meilleurs auspices.

La bonne nouvelle, c’est que la communauté internationale a promis hier à Charm el-Cheikh, en Egypte, une aide de 4,5 milliards de dollars pour la reconstruction de Gaza et la relance de l’économie palestinienne, six semaines après la guerre. De quoi réjouir le président Mahmoud Abbas, qui en réclamait 2,8 milliards.

La mauvaise nouvelle, c’est qu’il va falloir distribuer ces fonds sans passer par le Hamas, qui contrôle l’étroite bande de terre depuis son coup de force du 15 juin 2007. Et parvenir à surmonter le blocus israélien (même des cargaisons de macaronis et de lentilles ont buté contre la frontière!). Le tout doit être réalisé alors qu’Israël est à la recherche d’une coalition et que l’Autorité palestinienne ne préside plus grand-chose.

Qui réussira ce prodige? Les yeux se tournent forcément vers Hillary Clinton, nouvelle secrétaire d’Etat américaine, qui tente un pari en trois volets. >>> Andrés Allemand | Mardi 03 Mars 2009

leJDD.fr: Gaza: Des dollars pour quoi faire?

Près de 4,5 milliards de dollars ont été promis aux Palestiniens lors de la conférence sur la reconstruction de Gaza, qui s'est tenue lundi à Charm el Cheikh, en Egypte. Une somme colossale, qui vient s'ajouter aux 7 milliards déjà débloqués en décembre 2007 à Paris. D'où vient cet argent? A qui profite-t-il vraiment? Focus sur les mécanismes de l'aide internationale.

Comment sont chiffrés les besoins?

En amont de la conférence, le chiffrage a été réalisé par le Conseil économique palestinien pour le développement et la reconstruction (Pedcar). L'estimation proposée par les Palestiniens se montait à 2,8 milliards de dollars. Pour sa part, le Fonds monétaire international (FMI) a lui estimé à 2,25 milliards de dollars -dont 600 millions de dollars jugés nécessaires pour reconstruire et réhabiliter Gaza- les besoins d'aide internationale pour l'Autorité Palestinienne en 2009.

Qui sont les donateurs et combien donnent-ils?

Des Etats et les grandes organisations internationales sont les principaux contributeurs de l'aide: pays arabes et du Moyen-Orient, G8, les 27 Etats membres de l'UE, les grands pays émergents, mais aussi la Commission européenne, les institutions financières internationales et régionales (FMI, Banque mondiale, BEI, fonds arabes, etc.) ainsi que les Nations Unies. A Charm el Cheikh, les Etats-Unis ont promis 900 millions de dollars, la Commission européenne 554 milliards et les monarchies du Golfe 1,65 milliard sur trois ans. La Banque mondiale et les Nations Unies (par l'intermédiaire de leurs programmes d'aide comme le Pnud ou l'Unrwa), ont eux aussi déboursé plusieurs milliards de dollars.

A qui est versé l'argent?

Les fonds sont versés exclusivement à l'Autorité palestinienne dirigée par Mahmoud Abbas, seul exécutif politique palestinien reconnu par la communauté internationale. C'est donc le gouvernement de Salam Fayyad qui gère l'argent reçu et décide de sa répartition. >>> Par Christophe ISRAËL, leJDD.fr | Mardi, 03 Mars 2009

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Berlusconi lädt Ghadhafi zum G-8-Gipfel ein: Libyens Revolutionsführer als Vorsitzender der Afrikanischen Union
NZZ Online: Der italienische Regierungschef Silvio Berlusconi hat den libyschen Revolutionsführer Ghadhafi zum nächsten G-8-Gipfel im Juli auf der Insel La Maddalena vor Sardinien eingeladen. Ghadhafi wird als Vorsitzender der Afrikanischen Union (AU) zu dem Gipfel kommen.

Foto von Berlusconi und Ghadafi dank der Neuen Zürcher Zeitung
«Wir sind schon dabei, einen geeigneten Platz für dein Zelt zu suchen», sagte Berlusconi laut einem Bericht des Mailänder «Corriere della Sera» dem libyschen Staatschef.

Berlusconi hatte am Montagabend im libyschen Sirte mit dem Revolutionsführer die Ratifizierungsurkunden eines Freundschafts- und Kooperationsvertrages beider Länder ausgetauscht. Berlusconi entschuldigte sich bei dem Treffen auch für die italienische Kolonialvergangenheit in Libyen. >>> sda/dpa | Dienstag, 3. März 2009

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Iran : l'offre secrète d'Obama à la Russie
LE FIGARO: Le président américain proposerait à son homologue russe de renoncer à l'implantation d'un bouclier antimissile en Europe centrale si le Kremlin coopère pour empêcher l'Iran de se doter de l'arme nucléaire.

Barack Obama propose de renoncer à déployer un bouclier antimissile en Europe centrale si la Russie aide Washington à empêcher l'Iran de se doter de l'arme nucléaire, rapporte le New York Times dans son édition de mardi. Selon le journal américain, Obama aurait fait cette proposition dans une lettre remise en mains propres au président russe Dmitri Medvedev à Moscou il y a trois semaines par de hauts responsables de l'administration américaine, ajoute le quotidien. Le New York Times cite des sources gouvernementales ayant souhaité conserver l'anonymat, la lettre n'ayant pas été rendue publique. Mais ces derniers ont également précisé qu'il ne s'agissait pas d'une offre impliquant un engagement réciproque de Moscou mais plutôt d'une manière d'inciter la Russie à rejoindre les Etats-Unis dans un front commun contre l'Iran. Le journal américain rappelle que les liens militaires, commerciaux et diplomatiques avec Téhéran, donnent à Moscou une certaine influence sur ce pays.

Un haut responsable américain a confirmé la remise d'une lettre à l'agence Reuters: «La lettre avait trait à plusieurs sujets, dont la défense antimissile et la manière dont elle s'articule avec la menace iranienne». Moscou n'a pas encore répondu à l'offre d'Obama mais le quotidien russe Kommersant a déjà qualifié cette offre de «sensationnelle».

Barack Obama a promis une nouvelle approche diplomatique fondée sur la volonté de dialoguer directement et respectueusement avec la République islamique. Seule condition : que cette dernière «desserre le poing». Selon un responsable russe cité par le New York Times, la défense antimissile américaine devrait être évoquée dès vendredi à Genève lors d'une rencontre entre la secrétaire d'État américaine Hillary Clinton et le ministre russe des Affaires étrangères, Sergueï Lavrov. Quand à Barack Obama et Dmitri Medvedev, ils devraient évoquer le sujet lors de leur première rencontre officielle, le 2 avril prochain à Londres, à l'occasion du sommet du G20. >>> Jérôme Bouin (lefigaro.fr) | Mardi 03 Mars 2009

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Simon Scott Plummer: How the Ayatollah Overthrew the Shah
THE TELEGRAPH: Simon Scott Plummer examines Khomeini’s mesmeric hold over Iran and the Islamic world

The Islamic Revolution in Iran was the most significant event of the last half of the 20th century. Some would even rank its importance in modern history as second only to the fall of the Bastille. Along with the American and Soviet withdrawals from Vietnam and Afghanistan in 1975 and 1989, it marked the emergence of Islam as a global political force after centuries of impotence, and a corresponding decline in superpower hegemony. To read Con Coughlin’s book is largely to understand how a septuagenarian cleric who had spent 15 years in exile was able to overthrow an authoritarian monarch with a terrifying security apparatus and armed forces bristling with Western weapons.

By the second half of the Seventies the Pahlavi shah, Reza Mohammed, had alienated most of Iranian society, from the clergy to the merchants. But popular discontent went back much further than his reign. The granting by the previous Qajar dynasty of concessions to British American Tobacco in 1891; the Russian invasion of 1907; Britain’s majority stake in the Anglo-Persian Oil Company; the British and Soviet occupation from 1941 onwards; the CIA-backed overthrow of the prime minister Mossadeq in 1953; the last shah’s dependence on Washington: all these were waymarks on a road of national humiliation.

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini offered a radical alternative to the puffed-up Pahlavis. His title denoted a considerable Islamic scholar. His lifestyle was simple and his opposition to the shah coherent and courageous. Yet these qualities do not fully explain the mesmeric hold he had over Iran and the wider Islamic world.

There must have been something in his appearance and way of speaking to generate the wave of joy when he returned home in 1979, and of grief when he died 10 years later. In dealing with notorious figures, it is easy to underplay their personal charisma. >>> Simon Scott Plummer | Thursday, February 26, 2009

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Wilders Now a Celebrity in US and Prime Minister in Poll
NIS NEWS BULLETIN: THE HAGUE - Controversial MP Geert Wilders has reacted with pleasure to a poll according to which his Party for Freedom (PVV) would be the Netherlands' biggest party. "As far as I am concerned elections can be held tomorrow; then I will be the next premier."

The PVV would according to prominent pollster Maurice de Hond win 27 seats in the 150-member Lower House if elections were held now. This is one more than the Christian democrats (CDA). This is the first time the PVV has emerged as the biggest party in a poll.

The PVV has risen in recent weeks thanks to apparent setbacks. First, the Amsterdam appeal court ruled that Wilders must be prosecuted for incitement to hatred and insulting of Muslims as a group. And subsequently, the UK refused him entry to the country.

In the US on the other hand, Wilders was greeted by neo-conservatives - as by a growing portion of the Dutch population - as a martyr for freedom of speech. The contrasts with Europe are great. A conservative philosopher said of his impact in the American media: "He is more than a hero. He is a celebrity".

Wilders says his criticism of Islam is dealt with much less frenetically in America. "In the Netherlands, the elite consider that you may not speak as I do, but here (in the US) freedom is in the genes. (...) I notice that in this country, at least arguments are exchanged. The Netherlands and Europe could adopt this as an example."

According to Wilders, the Pentagon shares his fears of a 'Eurabia'. "I have spoken with Pentagon staff, and they fear for the stability of Europe if the influence of Islam grows further." >>> | Tuesday, March 3, 2009

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Barack Obama Fights Presidential Eligibility Claims
THE TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama is being forced to repel a series of writs challenging his presidential eligibility, as conspiracy theories claiming he is not an American citizen refuse to go away.

Photo of President Barack Hussein Obama courtesy of The Telegraph
The most common allegation lawyers are having to refute is that a certificate of Mr Obama's birth in Hawaii is false, leading accusers to conclude that he was born outside the country and is therefore disqualified to fill the highest office in the land.

Other challengers have contended that his Kenyan father was British, even though that would not exclude him from occupying the White House.

Both claims are untrue. Officials in Hawaii said they had viewed Mr Obama's original certificate and confirmed it stated he was born in Honolulu on Aug 4, 1961. A certified version of the certificate released by his campaign last summer when the theory began circulating showed the same. Birth notices in Hawaii papers record a birth to his mother and father on the same day.

But that has not stopped the theorists, who have been dubbed "the Birthers" and who see Mr Obama as a fifth columnist. Their accusations are often tinged with racism and antipathy to Islam, the religion of his father. During his campaigns Mr Obama faced an online rumour mill that he was a Muslim, though he has worshipped at a Christian church for 20 years.

The conservative website WorldNet Daily claims to have received 300,000 signatures for an online petition challenging Mr Obama's legitimacy.

Orly Taitz, a California dentist and lawyer, who was herself born overseas, is representing soldiers challenging Mr Obama's right to be president, including retired Maj Gen Carroll Childers, who compared the Democrat to "Hitler, Stalin, Saddam, Mao, and Kim Jong Il".

"He is an interloper, a usurper, a fake, a scam artist, a Chicago crook, a recipient of bribes and gratuitous income for which he paid no tax, a socialist (perhaps only a communist or Marxist), and a grave danger to the future of the America that I love and have protected since I was 17 years old," Maj Gen Childers wrote in a statement on the website for Ms Taitz's Defend Our Freedoms Foundation. The rumour got closest to the mainstream when Richard Shelby, an Alabama senator, gave it credibility during a recent meeting with constituents.

Asked for his views on the notion, the Cullman Times, an Alabama paper, quoted Mr Shelby as saying: "Well his father was Kenyan and they said he was born in Hawaii, but I haven't seen any birth certificate. You have to be born in America to be president." >>> By Alex Spillius in Washington | Monday, March 2, 2009

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Heinz-Christian Strache über den Islam

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Islamisierung durch Moscheebau in der EU
Teil 1:


Teil 2:


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Stoppt die Islamisierung

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Impossible de gagner en Afghanistan, dit Harper
LE DEVOIR: C'est la première fois que le premier ministre avoue aussi franchement son pessimisme

Stephen Harper juge qu'il est impossible de vaincre la résistance aux forces étrangères en Afghanistan. Il annonce du même coup que le Canada n'engagera pas de nouvelles troupes dans ce pays sans obtenir une stratégie claire pour éviter l'enlisement.

Ces aveux ont été faits par le premier ministre canadien lors d'une interview diffusée hier sur la chaîne américaine d'informations CNN. Stephen Harper a déclaré que l'Afghanistan avait besoin d'un gouvernement libre de toute influence étrangère pour stabiliser le pays.

«Nous ne remporterons pas cette guerre en restant simplement présents là-bas, a dit le premier ministre. Mon propre jugement, très franchement, c'est que nous ne battrons jamais cette insurrection.» >>> Stéphane Baillargeon | Lundi 02 Mars 2009

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L'avenir de la France appartient à l'Islam!
L’image de La Tour Eiffel grâce aux Google Images
NATIONS PRESSE.INFO: Partout dans le Grand Sud-Ouest de notre pays, en Aquitaine, mais aussi en Languedoc-Roussillon et en Midi-Pyrénées, l’islam prend de plus en plus de place dans notre quotidien.

Quand ce ne sont pas des restaurants halal (kebabs, pizzerias…) qui ouvrent çà et là, ce sont des centres religieux musulmans, des mosquées qui s’érigent et un communautarisme qui se renforce, ainsi qu’on a encore pu le constater en janvier dernier lors des démonstrations de rue pro-palestiniennes, dont certaines, comme au centre ville de Perpignan, se sont transformées en émeutes ethniques.

Une islamisation qui est encore largement favorisée par une immigration massive ; cette dernière s’étant très sérieusement développée depuis l’élargissement de l’Europe, comme le reconnaît dans Le Monde daté du 25 février Jean-Pierre Garçon, chef de la division des migrations internationales de l’Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques (OCDE).

En Aquitaine, ce qu’il faut bien appeler une évidente islamisation prend des proportions surprenantes avec le projet de grande mosquée piloté par l’Association des musulmans de la Gironde (AMG), une structure membre de l’UOIF (Union des organisations islamiques de France), qui gère déjà les mosquées de Cenon et Al Houda (rue Jules-Guesde) la plus grande à Bordeaux. De plus, on trouve dans l’agglomération bordelaise une salle de prières rue Richelieu, une mosquée Nour El Mohamedi, rue des Menuts et la mosquée turque Merkez Cani rue de la Halle.

L’UOIF est une association issue de la mouvance islamiste des Frères musulmans, organisation interdite dans de nombreux pays pour son extrémisme, et dont la devise est « le Coran est notre constitution ». Mais, officiellement, l’UOIF prône « un islam à la française ».

Ce nouveau projet de mosquée bordelaise, approuvé en 2005 par la mairie UMP d’Alain Juppé, se situera rive droite de la Garonne : prévu pour 2010-2011, l’édifice abritera outre une salle de prière de 2.500 places, une cafétéria, un centre culturel avec un amphithéâtre, une bibliothèque, des classes de cours d’arabe pouvant être dispensés à des non musulmans et… des chambres d’hôtes !

En Gironde, l’AMG est très proche d’associations gérant des lieux de culte, à Libourne, Port-Sainte-Foy, Castillon, La Réole, Lesparre et Cadillac où la mosquée est imposante. Agrandie voilà une dizaine d’années, elle est encore en chantier et pourra bientôt recevoir quelques 200 à 250 fidèles.

Dans les Pyrénées-Atlantiques, de nombreuses villes ont leur mosquée officielle, comme Pau.

En Midi-Pyrénées, à Toulouse, l’islam connaît un développement tout aussi surprenant : Selon les estimations, le nombre des fidèles musulmans toulousains serait de 35.000. Déjà, quatre mosquées existent dans la ville des Capitouls : deux mosquées Ennour, dont celle du quartier d’Empalot, avec son minaret, sa coupole, ses trois niveaux sur 2.100 m2 encore en construction, la mosquée Al-Rahma, la mosquée Al Hoceine, la mosquée Salam et la mosquée Abou Bakr. L’islamisation du Sud-Ouest de la France se porte bien >>> Posté par Francis K. | Jeudi 26 Février 2009

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Growing Economic Crisis Threatens the Idea of One Europe
THE NEW YORK TIMES: PARIS — The leaders of the European Union gathered Sunday in Brussels in an emergency summit meeting that seemed to highlight the very worries it was designed to calm: that the world economic crisis has unleashed forces threatening to split Europe into rival camps.

An urgent call from Hungary for a large bailout for newer, Eastern members was bluntly rejected by Europe’s strongest economy, Germany, and received little support from other countries. Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, facing federal elections in September, said countries must be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

“Saying that the situation is the same for all Central and Eastern European states, I don’t see that,” Mrs. Merkel told reporters. She spoke after Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany of Hungary warned, “We should not allow that a new Iron Curtain should be set up and divide Europe.”

With uncertain leadership and few powerful collective institutions, the European Union is struggling with the strains this crisis has inevitably produced among 27 countries with uneven levels of development.

The traditional concept of “solidarity” is being undermined by protectionist pressures in some member countries and the rigors of maintaining a common currency, the euro, for a region that has diverse economic needs. Particularly acute economic problems in some newer members that once were part of the Soviet bloc have only made matters worse. >>> By Steven Erlanger and Stephen Castle | Monday, March 2, 2009

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FTSE 100 Falls to Six-year Low
THE TELEGRAPH: The FTSE 100 has fallen to a six-year low after HSBC dragged the market downwards by confirming a £12.5bn rights issue.

The leading index of UK shares fell by over 3pc and below the 3,700 mark for the first time since April 2003.

The sharp decline takes the FTSE 100 below the lows experienced last October as UK banks teetered on the edge of collapse and were bailed out by the Government.

Investors have been spooked by HSBC's rights issue, which is priced at an almost 50pc discount to the closing price on Friday, while sentiment has also been damaged by stock market falls in Asia.

HSBC, Europe's largest bank, had previously avoided any form of capital raising. However, in its full year results, it warned that 2009 will be "difficult" and reported a $15.5bn (£10.9bn) loss in the US.

The announcement sent shares in the bank down almost 10pc and also pulled Standard Chartered, which like HSBC conducts a significant amount of business in Asia, down by a similar amount.

Other UK banks, including Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds Banking Group and Barclays, all saw their share price tumble by at least 5pc. >>> By Graham Ruddick | Monday, March 2, 2009

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Une ville sans pollution dans le désert d'Abu Dhabi
LES ECHOS.fr: La construction d'une ville de 50.000 habitants « zéro pollution » dans l'émirat d'Abu Dhabi marque le départ d'un nouveau concept d'urbanisme.

Pas de voitures à moteur thermique, zéro rejet de dioxyde de carbone, recyclage total des déchets domestiques. La construction de la première ville « zéro pollution » entre dans sa phase concrète dans l'émirat d'Abu Dhabi. Ce projet de 22 milliards de dollars (17,5 milliards d'euros) est financé en grande partie par le gouvernement de l'émirat. Le sultan Ahmed Al-Jaber a mis sur la table 15 milliards de dollars pour démarrer le programme, attirer les investisseurs privés et attirer les meilleurs experts et urbanistes du monde. Objectif : faire entrer le pays dans la modernité technologique et casser son image de désert assis sur une rente pétrolière. A l'horizon de 2016, cette ville nouvelle baptisée « Masdar City » (signifiant source) devrait accueillir environ 50.000 habitants. Ces nouveaux urbains devront se plier à un mode de vie et des équipements totalement nouveaux. Les responsables du programme, qui ne manquent ni d'argent ni d'imagination, estiment que ce sera la plus vaste « éco-cité » du monde. C'est le cabinet d'architecte britannique Fosters & Partners qui est responsable de la conception. >>> Alain Perez, Les Echos | Lundi 02 Mars 2009

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une ville sans pollution

Mo Balls from Ed Balls!
MAIL Online: The Roman Catholic Church has severely criticised a proposed new code of conduct for teachers which it says will force Christian schools to actively promote Islam and gay rights.

The Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has warned the General Teaching Council, by the professional regulatory body, that many teachers will quit the profession because they will not be able to accept the revised code of conduct in good conscience.

Their advisers say the code would also seriously undermine the religious character of church schools by imposing on them a hostile form of secular morality.

The legally-binding code would discriminate against Christian teachers in recruitment and in the classroom, they say.

Principle 4 of the code demands that teachers ‘proactively challenge discrimination’ and ‘promote equality and value diversity in all their professional relationships and interactions’ before they can be registered.

It means that campaigners can complain if teachers fail to observe the new demands and that teachers and schools can be punished if a complaint is upheld.

Oona Stannard, head of the Catholic Education Service, an agency of the bishops’ conference, told the GTC in a written submission that ‘there was an understandable fear that the call to “proactively challenge discrimination” could be used to oppose faith schools per se, and the rights that they have in law, for example, to select leaders who are of the faith’.

‘This anxiety extends similarly to the direction to “promote equality”,’ Miss Stannard said.

‘It would be unacceptable to expect anyone to be required to promote something contrary to their own faith beliefs and, indeed, it would not be possible for a person of faith to promote another faith – this is a matter of conscience.’ Catholic Church Slams New Code of Conduct Forcing Teachers to Promote Islam and Gay Rights >>> By Simon Caldwell | Monday, March 2, 2009

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Wenn der Glaube an Gott krank macht
TAGES ANZEIGER: Eine neue Studie zeigt: Religiosität kann gefährlich sein, genauer gesagt: gesundheitsgefährdend.

Forscher der Universität Zürich und der Ruhr-Universität Bochum haben herausgefunden, dass Religiosität gesundheitsgefährdend sein kann. Die Studie, die dem «Sonntag» exklusiv vorliegt, zeigt: Der Glaube kann das Wohlbefinden reduzieren und psychische Störungen wie Depressionen und Angstzustände verstärken. >>> bru | Sonntag, 1. März 2009

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Wilders Says Pentagon Fears Europe Destabilised by Islam
DIGITAL JOURNAL: Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders was told by Pentagon officials that they 'feared for European stability due to the continent's rapid islamisation'. Wilders said this in an interview after a speech at the National Press Club in Washington, DC Friday.

Wilders received a warm reception in Washington Friday - in stark contrast to last month's chilly expulsion of the elected Dutch official by the British government. Yet only a week after this British treatment, he was given the Oriana Fallaci's Freedom of Speech award in front of a welcoming audience in Rome Italy. >>> Adriana Stuijt | Saturday, February 28, 2009

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Saudi Women Enter Labour Market
Watch BBC video: Saudi Arabia is a staunchly conservative country and traditionally it has always been very hard for women to be able to work.

But as Stephanie Hancock reports growing numbers of Saudi women are beginning to enter the workplace. >>>

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What on Earth Can We Make of This Man, George Galloway?

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Somalia führt die Scharia ein
DIE PRESSE: Somalia wird aller Voraussicht nach zum Gottesstaat. Der neue Präsident Sheik Ahmed gibt radikalen Kräften nach. Religiöse Zugeständnisse sollen helfen, die brüchige Waffenruhe abzusichern.

Foto von dieser verschleierten Frau dank der Presse
MOGADISCHU: Somalia wird aller Voraussicht nach zum Gottesstaat. Nur einen Monat nach seiner Wahl hat der neue Präsident Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed die Wiedereinführung des islamischen Rechts angekündigt. Er werde auf Grundlage der Scharia regieren, sagte er am Wochenende. Mit diesem radikalen Schritt will Sheik Ahmed offenbar wieder für Ruhe im Krisenstaat am Horn von Afrika sorgen. Die Scharia gilt als Zugeständnis an die oppositionellen islamischen Fundamentalisten.

Das somalische Übergangsparlament, das derzeit im Nachbarstaat Dschibuti seinen Sitz hat, muss der Entscheidung zur Einführung des islamischen Rechts allerdings noch zustimmen. Der Beschluss ist noch nicht sicher, da es unter den Abgeordneten nur wenig Sympathie für das islamische Recht gibt. Das Parlament mussten sich aus der somalischen Stadt Baidoa, dem bisherigen Sitz zurückziehen, nachdem die radikalislamische Al-Shabab-Miliz die Stadt erobert und dort bereits die Scharia durchgesetzt hatte. >>> ag | Sonntag, 1. Marz 2009

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Österreich: Jörg Haiders Partei triumphiert bei Wahl in Kärnten
WELT ONLINE: Die in Wien regierenden österreichischen Sozialdemokraten haben Hochrechnungen zufolge bei Landtagswahlen in Kärnten und Salzburg kräftige Verluste erlitten. Die Haider-Partei BZÖ baute ihre Position als stärkste Partei in Kärnten aus. In Salzburg behauptete sich die SPÖ trotz Verlusten um die fünf Prozent als stärkste Partei.

Foto von Stefan Petzner und Gerhard Dörfler dank der Welt
Viereinhalb Monate nach dem Tod des österreichischen Rechtspopulisten Jörg Haider hat das von ihm gegründete rechte Bündnis Zukunft Österreich (BZÖ) einen triumphalen Sieg bei der Landtagswahl in Kärnten errungen. Das BZÖ kam nach einer stabilen Hochrechnung des ORF-Fernsehens vom Sonntagabend auf 45,6 Prozent der abgegebenen Stimmen.

Damit gewann die von Haider 2005 gegründete Partei sogar noch 3,2 Prozentpunkte dazu. Die rechtsgerichtete Freiheitliche Partei FPÖ, mit der Haider 2004 gewonnen hatte, verpasste mit rund 3,5 Prozent der abgegebenen Stimmen den Einzug in den Landtag. Haider hatte die FPÖ2005 nach innerparteilichen Querelen verlassen.

Ein schweres Debakel erlitten Kärntens Sozialdemokraten (SPÖ), denen Meinungsforscher kurz vor der Wahl noch ein Kopf-an-Kopf-Rennen mit dem BZÖ prognostiziert hatten. Die unter innerparteilichem Streit leidende Landespartei verlor mit 28,8 Prozent knapp 10 Prozentpunkte. Dagegen legte die konservative Volkspartei ÖVP mit 15,8 Prozent um 4,1 Punkte zu. BZÖ-Parteichef Uwe Scheuch sagte am Abend, der triumphale Sieg seiner Partei sei nicht allein ein Ergebnis des „Mitleid-Effekts“ der Bevölkerung. >>> dpa/fsl/lha | Sonntag, 1. März 2009

THE TRUMPET:
Far-Right Landslide in Austria >>> | March 3, 2009

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Is George Galloway a Muslim?

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Saudi Arabia: Why Women Should Not Be Allowed to Drive

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L'Iran pas "près d'avoir une arme" nucléaire, estime M. Gates
L’EXPRESS.fr: WASHINGTON - L'Iran n'est "pas près d'avoir une arme" nucléaire, a déclaré le secrétaire américain à la Défense Robert Gates, dans un entretien diffusé dimanche sur la chaîne NBC.

"Je pense qu'on s'est concentré de manière continue sur la manière d'amener les Iraniens à renoncer à un programme d'armement nucléaire. Ils ne sont pas près d'avoir des réserves (suffisantes). Ils ne sont pas près d'avoir une arme à ce stade", a déclaré le ministre dans cet entretien pré-enregistré. "Donc, nous avons du temps", a-t-il ajouté.

Il a estimé que la diplomatie avait de bonnes chances de succès maintenant que les prix du pétrole avaient baissé, renforçant l'efficacité des sanctions économiques contre Téhéran qui reposent essentiellement sur le revenu pétrolier. >>> AFP | Dimanche 01 Mars 2009

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Holocaust Memorial Day : Benedict XVI on the Shoah

YouTube: Nie mehr Gewalt, nie mehr eine Shoah



YouTube: Lest We Forget – Shoah: A European Genocide*



*You may find this video disturbing. It contains graphic images. It is not suitable for children!

YouTube: Kristallnacht: German Pogrom of November 9, 1938


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Liberty Groups Unite to Defend UK Rights
THE GUARDIAN: Writers, pop stars, lawyers and politicians from across the party spectrum yesterday issued a call to arms. They joined the largest ever campaign across Britain to warn of the erosion of freedoms and the emergence of surveillance techniques

The government and the courts are collaborating in slicing away freedoms and pushing Britain to the brink of becoming a "database" police state, a series of sold-out conferences in eight British cities heard yesterday.

In a day of speeches and discussions, academics, politicians, lawyers, writers, journalists and pop stars joined civil liberty campaigners yesterday to issue a call to arms for Britons to defend their democratic rights.

More than 1,500 people, paying £35 a ticket, attended the Convention on Modern Liberty in Bloomsbury, central London, which was linked by video to parallel events in Glasgow, Birmingham, Belfast, Bristol, Manchester, Cardiff and Cambridge. They heard from more than 80 speakers, including author Philip Pullman; musicians Brian Eno and Feargal Sharkey; journalists Fatima Bhutto, Andrew Gilligan, Nick Cohen and Guardian editor-in-chief Alan Rusbridger; politicians Lord Bingham and Dominic Grieve; a former director of public prosecutions, Ken Macdonald; and human rights lawyer Helena Kennedy.

In her speech Kennedy said she felt that fear was being used as a weapon to break down civil liberties. "There is a general feeling that in creating a climate of fear people have been writing a blank cheque to government. People feel the fear of terrorism is being used to take away a lot of rights."

She said that voters were anxious that their communities were 'being alienated' by the use of powers designed to protect national security being applied outside their original remit, and that there was now an open window of opportunity for the electorate to make their feelings known to government before the next election: "People are fearful of the general business of collecting too much information about individuals." >>> Tracy McVeigh, Chief Reporter | Sunday, March 1, 2009

THE OBSERVER: Modern Liberty Has Found Its Voice

It was never in a Labour manifesto that individual freedom should be surrendered in the interests of collective security. Nor was it written that society should submit itself to a blanket of surveillance by the state.

It was never announced as a political creed of the current government that trial by jury is an expensive inconvenience that modern democracies can, in certain circumstances, do without. Nor was it proclaimed that the principle of habeas corpus, that prohibits the crown from detaining a free individual without his or her knowing the charge, was redundant in the face of terrorist threats in the 21st century. And yet, one way or another, all of those views have been expressed in laws introduced by Labour since it came to power.

Whether by complacency, arrogance or cynical design, the government has erected an edifice of legal constraint to liberty that would suit the methods and aims of a despot. >>> Editorial | Sunday, March 1, 2009

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