Israël et les Etats-Unis toujours en désaccord sur la colonisation
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: PROCHE-ORIENT | L’émissaire de Washington, George Mitchell, a rencontré hier à Jérusalem le premier ministre Netanyahou.

«Nous avons eu une rencontre très positive», a assuré hier l’envoyé spécial américain pour le Proche-Orient, George Mitchell, après ses entretiens à Jérusalem avec le premier ministre israélien, Benjamin Netanyahou. Mais rien n’y fait: le désaccord persiste sur la poursuite de la colonisation juive en Cisjordanie, y compris à Jérusalem-Est.

Mitchell exige un gel total, préalable indispensable à «une paix globale au Proche-Orient», incluant Israéliens, Palestiniens, Syriens et Libanais. Netanyahou, lui, affirme œuvrer à cet objectif, et pourrait envisager «un gel temporaire», mais espère en contrepartie «des gestes» de normalisation de la part des pays arabes. >>> Ouri Daniel | Mercredi 29 Juillet 2009

US Asks Arab Nations to Reach Out to Israel
THE TELEGRAPH: President Barack Obama has asked Arab countries to make confidence-building gestures towards Israel in the hope that they could kick-start the peace process.

The White House has asked at least seven Arab countries to consider what they might do in return for an Israeli pledge to freeze construction of settlements in the West Bank.

The US administration is reaching out to moderate Arab countries in the region to inject some momentum into efforts to revive Israeli-Palestinian talks.

Jonathan Rynhold, a London-born expert in US-Israeli relations at Bar-Ilan University, said the White House was likely to have contacted Morocco, Bahrain, and other Gulf states.

The Americans are thought to be asking for the opening of trade offices, flight routes between the countries and cultural exchanges.

Mr Rynhold said: “It does serve as an umbrella strategically if the Palestinians want to move forward.” Washington hopes such moves will encourage Israel to reconsider their plans to continue construction for what officials term “the natural growth” of existing settlements.

But the efforts to reach out to the Arab countries are understood to have left administration officials frustrated so far. Most notably, Mr Obama left his recent visit to Saudi Arabia without any such promises in hand. George Mitchell, the US envoy to the Middle East, met Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, on Tuesday in another attempt to end the deadlock between the countries over the issue. >>> Dina Kraft in Tel Aviv | Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Woman in Sudan Faces Flogging for Wearing Trousers
THE TELEGRAPH: A Sudanese woman journalist is preparing to be flogged 40 times in Khartoum for wearing trousers, with 10 women already whipped for similar offences against Islamic law.

Lubna Ahmed al-Hussein. Photo: The Telegraph
Lubna Ahmed al-Hussein, who writes for the left-wing Al-Sahafa newspaper and works for the media department of the United Nations Mission in Sudan, was arrested in Khartoum earlier this month after being caught wearing "indecent" clothes.

"I received a telephone call from the authorities saying I must appear at 10 am (7am GMT) on Wednesday in front of the judge," Hussein said.

"It is important that people know what is happening," Hussein said in an invitation to journalists to attend her court appearance and flogging.

"They will lash me 40 times, and also fine me 250 Sudanese pounds (100 dollars)."

Hussein said she was at a restaurant on July 3 when police came in and ordered 13 women wearing trousers to follow them to the police station. >>> | Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Related:
Sudan Women ‘Lashed for Trousers’ >>> BBC | July 13, 2009

Sotomayor, «la voix de la diversité à la Cour suprême»
Sonia Sotomayor devient la première hispanique à siéger à la Cour suprême des Etats-Unis. Crédits photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: INTERVIEW - Pour la première fois, une femme hispanique va devenir juge à la plus haute juridiction américaine. Le choix de Barack Obama ne remettra toutefois pas en cause l'équilibre de cette institution, comme l'explique Vincent Michelot, spécialiste de la Cour suprême.

Comme prévu, la commission judiciaire du Sénat américain a approuvé mardi la nomination de Sonia Sotomayor comme juge à la Cour suprême pour remplacer David Souter qui avait démissionné au printemps. Ce oui devrait être confirmé par le Sénat en séance plénière la semaine prochaine.

Sonia Sotomayor, dont les parents sont portoricains, sera la première juge d'origine hispanique à siéger à la Cour. Toutefois sa nomination, voulue par Barack Obama, ne bouleversera pas l'équilibre politique et idéologique de l'institution, comme l'explique Vincent Michelot, professeur à l'IEP de Lyon et auteur d'une thèse de doctorat intitulée «Les nominations à la Cour suprême des États-Unis (1937-1987) : aspects politiques»

LEFIGARO.FR - Est-ce que la nomination de Sonia Sotomayor va modifier l'équilibre politique au sein de la Cour suprême ?

VINCENT MICHELOT - Elle ne va en rien modifier l'équilibre idéologique de la Cour. Elle va remplacer David Souter, considéré comme le juge le plus progressiste et à gauche de l'institution. Il avait voté notamment en 1992 pour le maintien du droit des femmes à l'avortement. Le rapport de force au sein de la Cour va donc rester inchangé. A la veille de la démission de Souter, la composition de la Cour était la suivante (1) : quatre juges «libéraux», quatre magistrats conservateurs voire très conservateurs, ainsi qu'un conservateur modéré centriste «pivot» qui vote parfois avec les progressistes. La voix de ce dernier est décisive lorsque les décisions sont prises à cinq voix contre quatre. Des mauvaises langues disent même que Sonia Sotomayor serait moins progressiste que David Souter sur la question de l'équilibre des pouvoirs et devrait se montrer plus déférente vis-à-vis de l'exécutif. Or un des grands débats que va avoir à trancher la Cour suprême dans les années à venir va être la délimitation du pouvoir de l'exécutif, qui a beaucoup grandi sous George Bush après le 11 septembre. >>> Propos recueillis par Constance Jamet (lefigaro.fr) | Mercredi 29 Juillet 2009

Mike Castle on PeeBo's Birth Certificate

THE GUARDIAN:
Anti-Obama 'birther movement' gathers steam: Conspiracy theory returns with a vengeance as right wing questions Barack Obama's US citizenship >>> Chris McGreal in Washington | Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Taliban Running School for Suicide Bombers
THE INDEPENDENT: Army discovers boys as young as nine brainwashed in Swat valley training camp

Pakistan said yesterday it had rescued 20 young boys who were among hundreds recruited by the Taliban and brainwashed into becoming suicide bombers at a secret indoctrination camp.

The boys, some as young as nine, have revealed details of how they were induced to become part of the Taliban's army of jihad inside Pakistan and told their rescuers that more than 1,000 children may be undergoing training in the special camp in the Swat valley. Their discovery by the army as troops were sweeping through the valley conducting the final stages of a military offensive against the Taliban underscores the organisation's power over poor Pakistani communities and the extreme lengths Taliban commanders are willing to go to achieve their aims.

The rescued children were held at a training camp in the Charbagh area of the Swat valley, where their indoctrination programme reportedly lasted more than a month. Some were recovered as the army was carrying out "search and sweep" operations as part of the final stages of its military offensive in the valley, while others were handed over to the army by worried parents. >>> Omar Waraich in Islamabad | Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Clashes with Islamists Who Claim to Be Taleban Kill 150 in Nigeria
TIMES ONLINE: Radical Islamists, who claim to be linked to al-Qaeda, have killed more than 150 people in two days of violence in northern Nigeria, news agencies reported.

Residents in the state of Borno said that Islamic militants, loyal to an anti-Western preacher, burnt a police station, a church and a customs office early yesterday.

The attacks came after clashes in the neighbouring, mainly Muslim states of Bauchi and Yobe on Sunday.

The heavily armed sect, which calls itself Taleban, emerged in Nigeria in 2004. Although, it has never been clear if it has proper links to the Taleban in Afghanistan its leaders profess allegiance to and admiration of Osama bin Laden. >>> Jonathan Clayton | Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Prison Looms for Aung San Suu Kyi as Burma Show Trial Draws to a Close
TIMES ONLINE: The Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is facing an almost certain criminal conviction and a sentence of up to five years in prison when a Rangoon court delivers its verdict at the end of this week, her defence team said yesterday.

Wrapping up her two-and-a-half-month trial, Ms Suu Kyi’s lawyers gave their reply to the prosecution’s final arguments in a court in Insein prison, Rangoon. She is accused of violating the terms of her lengthy house arrest by giving shelter to an eccentric American who entered the lakeside home where she has spent 14 of the past 20 years in detention.

Speaking softly, Ms Suu Kyi stood and turned to diplomats attending the hearing and said: “I’m afraid the verdict will be painfully obvious.”

“She thanked us for trying to promote a just outcome,” said an Asian diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity. Only diplomats from the US, Japan, Singapore and Thailand were allowed to attend the last day of the trial.

Her lawyers held out little hope of an acquittal when the verdict is delivered. “We have a good chance according to the law but we cannot know what the court will decide because this is a political case,” said Nyan Win, a lawyer for Ms Suu Kyi and the spokesman for her party, the National League for Democracy. “I have never seen any defendant in a political case being set free. We have done our best and she is prepared for the worst.” >>> Richard Lloyd Parry, Asia Editor | Wedmesday, July 29, 2009

Police Raid Home of Conrad Murray, Michael Jackson's Personal Doctor
The raid on Dr Murray's home follows a similar search of his office. Photo: TimesOnline
TIMES ONLINE: Police and federal agents tonight searched the home of Michael Jackson's personal physician following reports that the authorities believe Dr Conrad Murray killed the pop star by administering a powerful anaesthetic drug.

Dr Murray is said to have given Jackson propofol through an intravenous drip the night before he died. The drug, also known as Diprivan, is used to induce unconsciousness in hospital patients before major surgery. Reports have said that it was found in Jackson’s home.

A law enforcement official told the Associated Press that Jackson relied on propofol - marketed as Diprivan - like an alarm clock to help him sleep. A doctor would administer it when Jackson went to bed, then stop the IV drip when the singer wanted to wake up.

On June 25, the day Jackson died, Dr Murray gave him the drug through an IV sometime after midnight, the official said.

Dr Murray, 51, has been a central character in the investigation from the outset - Jackson's family have long accused him of having a hand in his death. The raid on his gated residence in Las Vegas, apparently in search of medical records, comes a week after a search of his offices in Houston, Texas, by police. >>> Michael Harvey, San Francisco | Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Fettleibigkeit kostet USA doppelt so viel wie vor zehn Jahren
TAGES ANZEIGER: Der Leibesumfang der Amerikaner wächst und wächst und wächst – und mit ihm die Belastung des Gesundheitswesens.

Nach einer jüngsten Studie der US-Regierung und der Forschungsgruppe RTI International liegen die medizinischen Ausgaben für fettleibige Menschen pro Kopf und Jahr bei rund 4800 Dollar.

Das sind 42 Prozent mehr als bei Normalgewichtigen. Hier liegen die Kosten bei rund 3400 Dollar. Insgesamt, so schätzen die Forscher, betragen die Therapiekosten von durch starkes Übergewicht geförderten Krankheiten wie Herzleiden und Diabetes jährlich nunmehr 147 Milliarden Dollar - doppelt so viel wie noch vor zehn Jahren. >>> se/sda | Dienstag, 28. Juli 2009

Thousands of Muslims Gather in London to Demand a Caliphate
Photo: BNP
BNP: Britain has revealed itself as the major Muslim invasion point for Europe with a rally of thousands of militant Muslims under the radical Hizb ut-Tahrir pan-Islamist party in London supporting Jihad and the creation of a caliphate in which non-Muslims will have no rights.

The rally — largely ignored by the controlled media out of a desire to hide the shocking truth from the British public — was organised by Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain, which is the UK variant of the globalist Islamist party. The conference was provocatively titled “The Struggle for ISLAM and the call for Khilafah.” (Khilafah is the word for caliphate.)

It was opened by Dr Abdul Wahid, Chairman of Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain’s Executive Committee, who said, “using the issue of terrorism and extremism, Western governments have embarked on a campaign to prevent the Muslim world establishing an Islamic government, the Caliphate that will free the Muslim world from the terror and hegemony that has been brought upon it by the West.”

Dr Wahid said, “In this critical time, Muslims needed to hold onto Islamic values living in the West, and resist the attempts to reform Islam, and to support the call for the Islamic Khilafah in the Muslim world — to end decades of oppression, colonisation and dependency.”

“The growing call for Khilafah in the Muslim world is causing increasing anxiety in Western capitals. To thwart this call Western backed puppet rulers are doing everything to stop the political work of Hizb ut Tahrir. Despite all the torture and terror upon Hizb ut Tahrir members, the party’s work continues to grow and its call is now embraced by millions of Muslims all over the world,” the conference was told.

An official Hizb ut Tahrir press release stated: “The conference highlighted how the method to re-establish the Khilafah is based on the Life (Seerah) of the Prophet Muhammad (saw), which clearly laid out a non-violent intellectual and political struggle to bring about change. Hizb ut-Tahrir has continued with this method for over 50 years and calls Muslims all over the world to this path for change.

“The conference concluded by emphasizing the key role the Muslim community in the West plays in terms of supporting the call for Khilafah in the Muslim world and carrying the Message of Islam to the wider non-Muslim society, breaking the stereotypes and presenting Islam with sound argument and good example.” >>> BNP News | Monday, July 27, 2009

Russian Navy UFO Records Say Aliens Love Oceans
RUSSIA TODAY: The Russian navy has declassified its records of encounters with unidentified objects technologically surpassing anything humanity ever built, reports Svobodnaya Pressa news website.

The records dating back to soviet times were compiled by a special navy group collecting reports of unexplained incidents delivered by submarines and military ships. The group was headed by deputy Navy commander Admiral Nikolay Smirnov, and the documents reveal numerous cases of possible UFO encounters, the website says.

Vladimir Azhazha, former navy officer and a famous Russian UFO researcher, says the materials are of great value.

“Fifty percent of UFO encounters are connected with oceans. Fifteen more – with lakes. So UFOs tend to stick to the water,” he said. >>> | Tuesday, July 21, 2009

PRAVDA:
UFO Phenomenon Was Strictly Tabooed in USSR >>> | Thursday, July 02, 2009

Iran 'Releases 140 Demonstrators'
BBC: About 140 Iranians detained during protests against last month's disputed election result have been released from Evin prison, officials say.

About 200 others, accused of more serious crimes, remain in the prison.

The release comes after Iran's supreme leader ordered the closure of another detention centre because it failed to "preserve the rights of detainees".

The unusual moves show how much pressure Iran's leaders are under over detainees, correspondents say.

Officials also announced on Tuesday that 30 people were killed in clashes between opposition supporters and police - up from a previously stated figure of about 20. >>> | Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Jihad Academy in Fairfax County

YOU TUBE: Welcome to Faisal County


Welcome to Faisal County >>> Frank Gaffney, Jr. | July 13, 2009

La bombe grecque de l'immigration
En Grèce, les immigrés arrivent désormais du monde entier. Photo: L’Express.fr
L’EXPRESS.fr: Avec ses milliers d'îles et ses 16 000 kilomètres de frontières, la Grèce attire chaque année un flot croissant de clandestins. Débordée par l'ampleur du phénomène, Athènes appelle à l'aide l'Union européenne.

Le visage collé aux barreaux de leur dortoir, un groupe de migrants afghans tente de profiter des quelques rayons de soleil. Murs couverts de graffitis, poste de télévision cassé, lits de fortune: le camp de rétention de l'île grecque de Lesbos a tout d'un cachot. Sous le regard vide des détenus, les policiers vont et viennent, cachés derrière des masques de protection. Certains pensionnaires seraient porteurs de maladies comme la tuberculose ou l'hépatite C.

L'été dernier, ils étaient presque un millier à s'entasser dans ces hangars bétonnés, conçus pour abriter 400 personnes. Une surpopulation qui illustre l'incapacité de la Grèce à faire face à l'explosion récente du nombre de sans-papiers arrivant sur son territoire.

Le pays tente tant bien que mal de protéger ses frontières, qui sont aussi celles de l'Europe. Mais, avec ses milliers d'îlots et son littoral de 16 000 kilomètres, la côte grecque est très poreuse et la tâche semble vaine. >>> Par Anne-Laure Buffard, Chine Labbé, Solenn Poullennec | Samedi 11 Juillet, mis à jour Mardi 21 Juillet 2009

Malalai Joya Speaks Out Ahead of Afghan Elections
THE TELEGRAPH: Five assassination attempts have failed to silence "the bravest woman in Afghanistan" as she vows to continue to defend Afghans from oppression - whether from the Taliban or occupying forces.

Malalai Joya became Afghanistan's youngest Member of Parliament when she was elected aged just 27 to the 249-seat National Assembly in September 2005. She has been suspended since 2007 on charges of insulting the parliament.

Joya is in the UK to promote her new book, Raising My Voice, but also to deliver a message to Britain: "We do not accept foreign occupation - three times a British government have occupied my country faced with the opposition of my people."

"Foreign governments are wasting their money and their blood in Afghanistan by supporting Karzai. After this election, the result will be the same donkey, only with a new saddle." Read on and view video >>> | Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Pope Angered and Disgusted by Offensive Scottish ‘Art’ Exhibition
MAIL ONLINE: The Pope has condemned a ' disgusting' taxpayer-funded exhibition in which visitors are urged to deface the Bible.

Visitors were offered pens by gallery bosses so they could scrawl comments on the text - leading to a host of puerile and obscene remarks.

Pope Benedict XVI believes the stunt would not have been contemplated with a copy of the Koran.

His anger over the show, organised by council-funded arts body Culture and Sport Glasgow, was expressed by a senior Vatican priest.

The adviser to the Pope said: 'It is disgusting and offensive. They would not think of doing it to the Koran.' Pope attacks Glasgow art gallery's invitation to vandalise a Bible >>> Graham Grant | Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Islamisten: Sieben Terrorverdächtige in den USA angeklagt
WELT ONLINE: Einen Heiligen Krieg gegen Israel mit Mord, Entführung und Anschlägen hatten sich sieben Männer im US-Bundesstaat North Carolina vorgenommen. Dazu halfen sie, Geld für Terroroperationen zu sammeln und reisten sogar nach Tel Aviv. In der Nacht zum Dienstag wurden die Männer festgenommen.

Ein Bundesgericht im US-Staat North Carolina hat am Montag gegen sieben Männer Anklage wegen der Finanzierung und Beihilfe für Terroroperationen in Israel erhoben. Wie der US-Fernsehsender ABC in der Nacht zum Dienstag weiter berichtete, hatten sich die sechs US-Bürger und ein Immigrant im Alter zwischen 20 und 39 Jahren verschworen, einen gewaltsamen Heiligen Krieg mit Mord und Entführung zu führen.

Nach Angaben der Zeitung „Raleigh News & Observer“ soll die Gruppe, darunter ein Vater und seine zwei Söhne, geholfen haben, Geld zu sammeln und Trainingsmöglichkeiten für Freiwillige für Terroroperationen in Tel Aviv zur Verfügung gestellt haben.

Der Hauptverdächtige Daniel Boyd und einige seiner Komplizen sollen laut ABC im Juni 2007 nach Israel gefahren sein. Dort hätten sie vergeblich versucht, Terroraktivitäten zu unternehmen. Boyd habe im vergangenen Juli erfolgreich einen Rekruten ausgebildet und seine Reise in das Kosovo finanziert. >>> dpa/AP/ks | Dienstag, 28. Juli 2009

Video anschauen hier

NEWS & OBSERVER (RALEIGH): 7 Arrested in Terror Plot

Neighbors say the men they knew appeared friendly and unthreatening.

RALEIGH -- To those they lived among, seven men accused of an intricate terrorism plot lived simply, quietly and kindly.
To neighbors and friends, Daniel Boyd was a father who stopped his work at noon each day for prayer. Dylan Boyd, Daniel's son, was a college student at N.C. State University who until last year worked as a clinical services technician at WakeMed Raleigh Campus. Mohammad Omar Aly Hassan was a newlywed; his father owns a Raleigh car dealership.

To federal authorities, these men and four others plotted to kill themselves and others in the name of Islam. Their activities, tracked by FBI agents over three years and detailed in federal indictments released Monday, tell of an elaborate scheme hatched in a quiet Johnston County neighborhood and nondescript apartment complexes across Raleigh and Cary.

Those arrested Monday include Daniel Patrick Boyd, 39, who was considered the ringleader of the group, and who fought with Afghan Muslims against the Soviets; Hysen Sherifi, 24; Anes Subasic, 33; Zakariya Boyd, 20, and Dylan Boyd, 22; Mohammad Omar Aly Hassan, 22; and Ziyad Yaghi, a 21-year-old Cary High School graduate.

All but one of the defendants are American citizens. Sherifi, a native of Kosovo, is living in the United States legally.

All seven men are charged with conspiring to provide support to terrorists and conspiring to murder, kidnap, maim and injure people abroad. Each is expected to have a detention hearing this week. Until then, they are being held without bond. They have not been appointed lawyers. Efforts to reach their families were unsuccessful Monday night.

Federal authorities stormed the men's homes Monday and arrested them. Hours later, they stood before a federal magistrate and learned they could spend the rest of their lives in prison if found guilty of the charges against them. At nightfall, federal agents continued to search their homes, taking several vans and dozens of agents to their quiet neighborhoods. >>> Mandy Locke, Yonat Shimron and Josh Shaffer - Staff Writers | Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Dhimmitude Alert! The Weak, Fawning British Do It Again!
MAIL ONLINE: Women police officers are being issued with headscarves to wear when they visit a mosque.

They are expected to put the scarfs [sic] on shortly before they enter the mosque, in keeping with Islamic custom.

There are two versions - one matches the black of a police officer's uniform, while another goes with the blue uniforms worn by community support officers.

The headscarves are being given out by Avon and Somerset Police, and have the force's emblem sewn on.

They have already been given to seven officers, including Assistant Chief Constable Jackie Roberts, and eight community support officers who work with Muslim groups in the area.

Mrs Roberts said: 'It recognises and respects the cultural and religious practices of our communities. This is a very positive addition to the uniform and one which I'm sure will be a welcome item for many of our officers.'

The force said the scarves, which cost £13, can be used in other religious settings as a mark of respect - for instance to cover the shoulders of a non-uniformed officer in a church.

Islamic custom expects women to cover their head inside a place of worship.

During an official visit last year, the Queen wore a headscarf to tour the crypt and caverns of an historic Islamic shrine in Turkey.

Rashad Azami, Imam and director of the Bath Islamic Society, said: 'It is highly pleasing to see that Avon and Somerset Constabulary is introducing specially designed head coverings for female officers. Very PC police force issues its WPCs with Muslim headscarves complete with badge for mosque visits >>> James Slack, Home Affairs Editor | Tuesday, July 28, 2009

My comment on this story which the Mail Online has refused to print:

Year, 2050: Ha! Ha! Ha! By the grace of Allah and the weakness and stupidity of the British, we have taken the country over! Important announcement: Burqas will now be mandatory for all women, hijabs will no longer be adequate. Our sisters in Islam are warned that showing any hair in public is a very serious offence, punishable by a beating.

Londonistan, The Islamic Republic of Britain

MA

Queen Bypasses Bermuda’s Celebration of Four Centuries of Colonial History
TIMES ONLINE: The Queen is skipping today’s celebrations of the 400th anniversary of the settlement of Britain’s oldest colony after a row with the island’s pro-independence leader.

Bermuda is commemorating the shipwreck on July 28, 1609, of the Sea Venture, the flagship of a fleet sent to resupply the Jamestown colony in America.

Sailors, including the crew of the visiting Royal Navy destroyer HMS Manchester, will re-enact the 150 settlers rowing ashore on what is now St Catherine’s Beach to start four centuries of continuous settlement of the mid-Atlantic island.

Neither Queen Elizabeth II, the island’s sovereign, nor Ewart Brown, the elected pro-independence Premier, however, will be present for the celebrations.

The Queen was invited and had been considering a visit but decided to skip the festivities after Britain clashed with the island’s elected Government in June over its decision to resettle four former Guantánamo Bay prisoners without asking Britain’s permission.

The four Muslim ethnic Uighurs from China have been transferred to guest-worker housing and are learning English with a tutor. They are trying to get jobs but are all currently recovering from a bout of flu.

A Palace source said that the Queen had no immediate plans to visit Bermuda. >>> James Bone in New York | Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Barack Obama: US and China Will Shape 21st Century
THE TELEGRAPH: US President Barack Obama said the US and China will "shape the course of the 21st century" as he opened high-level talks in Washington.

To the satisfaction of the Chinese at talks designed to usher in a new era of friendship, "not confrontation", Mr Obama said that the ties between the two powers were "as important as any bilateral relationship in the world".

"That reality must underpin our partnership. That is the responsibility we bear," he said at the first meeting of the Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Washington.

In recognition of the importance of the two-day summit it has been described by analysts in the US as the "G2", after the G8 and G20 gatherings.

Mr Obama said he was under "no illusions that the United States and China will agree on every issue", but insisted closer co-operation on a range of challenges from lifting the global economy to nuclear proliferation and climate change was vital for the whole world.

In what appeared to be a co-ordinated new slogan, both Mr Obama and Hu Jintao, the Chinese president, who sent a message to the meeting, said they sought a "positive, constructive, and comprehensive relationship".

The talks are a revamped version of a meeting launched by George W Bush that focused solely on economic issues.

The new dialogue, to be held every year in alternate capitals, involves the US state department and Chinese foreign ministry and firmly underlines China's growing global footprint.

Beijing sent 150 officials to Washington for dozens of meetings with their US counterparts, bringing much of the capital to a virtual standstill.

The Chinese are still sensitive about their inferior status and pushed hard for Mr Obama to open the meeting, according to sources close to the administration, because "they are still looking for validation".

But the hosts were happy to pay tribute to China's ascendance and were optimistic about its ability to act as a responsible member of the global community.

Mr Obama and Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, made only brief reference to China's poor human rights record, which used to loom much larger in discussions. >>> Alex Spillius in Washington | Monday, July 27, 2009

LE FIGARO: Obama propose un axe Pékin-Washington

Le président américain Barack Obama, lundi, lors de la première session de «dialogue stratégique et économique» entre les États-Unis et la Chine à Washington avec, de gauche à droite, le conseiller d'État chinois Dai Bingguo, le vice-premier ministre Wang Qishan et la secrétaire d'État américaine Hillary Clinton. Crédits photo : Le Figaro

Le président américain a plaidé lundi pour une coopération tous azimuts entre les deux pays.

Le président Obama a ouvert,lundi, deux jours de «dialogue stratégique et économique» entre les États-Unis et la Chine à Washington en rappelant que les relations entre les deux pays vont «façonner le vingt et unième siècle». Au menu de ces rencontres : ­­­l'économie, le réchauffement climatique, la prolifération et les menaces transnationales.

«Je crois que nous sommes sur le point de progresser sur quelques-unes des questions les plus importantes de notre temps», a dit le président américain, même s'il se dit «sans illusion» sur le fait que la Chine et les États-Unis pourraient être «d'accord sur tout».

Le ministre des Finances américain, Tim Geithner, s'était félicité de la réaction rapide des deux pays qui a permis d'«atténuer» les effets de la crise mais le dialogue à ce sujet reste crispé. Barack Obama souligne que «les choix effectués à l'intérieur de nos frontières ont un impact sur l'économie globale» et qu'en conséquence les États-Unis restent partisans d'une «forte coordination bilatérale et multilatérale».

Il évoque les points sur lesquels des avancées assureront un redressement solide : transparence et réforme réglementaire, libre-échange, un cycle de Doha «ambitieux et équilibré», réforme des institutions internationales pour donner à la Chine une place qui correspond à son rôle actuel. Barack Obama note que la Chine peut être «un immense marché» pour les États-Unis. Il ne parle pas directement du sujet qui fâchait déjà sous l'Administration Bush et qui continue à créer la tension ces jours-ci : la ­question des devises, sur laquelle on a connu Tim Geithner plus sanguin.

Le dialogue, limité aux questions économiques par l'Administration Bush, a été élargi pour forger une relation «complète» et refléter des priorités nouvelles pour les États-Unis, comme le réchauffement climatique. Les deux pays sont les plus grands consommateurs d'énergie et les plus grands pollueurs (ils produisent 42 % des gaz toxiques). Barack Obama espère qu'ils développeront ensemble les énergies propres pour un «redressement à faible taux de carbone». >>> Nathalie Mattheiem, à New York | Mardi 28 Juillet 2009

Ehud Barak Warns Iran of Possible Israeli Strike on Nuclear Facilities
TIMES ONLINE: With the US Defence Secretary standing at his side, Ehud Barak, Israel’s Defence Minister, today warned Iran that a military strike on its nuclear facilities was still an option.

“We clearly believe that no option should be removed from the table. This is our policy. We mean it. We recommend to others to take the same position but we cannot dictate it to anyone,” Mr Barak said at a press conference with Robert Gates in Jerusalem.

The renewed threat of military action came a day after Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, told Iran that its pursuit of nuclear ambitions was “futile”. >>> James Hider in Jerusalem | Monday, July 27, 2009

Saudi Sex Boasts Man Apologises
BBC: A Saudi man who boasted about his sexual conquests on an Arabic TV station has tearfully apologised, as calls mounted for him to be punished.

Mazen Abdul Jawad talked about his sexual conquests, starting with a neighbour when he was 14, and how he picks up women in the kingdom.

Saudi media say officials are considering whether to charge him.

Pre-marital sex is illegal in Saudi Arabia and Mr Abdul Jawad could face imprisonment or flogging.

Discreet society

Saudi Arabia is not only the most conservative society in the Arab world, it is also the most discreet.

If people break its strict Islamic code they face punishment - lashes or imprisonment for drinking or non-marital sex.

These rules are flouted by locals as well as expatriates, but almost everyone who breaks the rules keeps quiet about it and hopes they won't be found out.

So it is unusual for a Saudi man to appear on TV freely discussing the ways in which he has transgressed the Saudi code. >>> Sebastian Usher, BBC News | Monday, July 27, 2009

lePOINT.fr: Arabie saoudite: Arrêté pour avoir vanté sa vie sexuelle à la télévision
Un Saoudien a été arrêté pour s'être vanté de sa vie sexuelle lors d'une émission télévisée, a rapporté jeudi le quotidien Arab News. Mazen Abdel Jawad de Jeddah (ouest) a été interpellé par les autorités après avoir participé la semaine dernière à l'émission "Ligne Rouge" de la chaîne satellitaire libanaise LBC, très suivie en Arabie saoudite. Durant l'émission, Jawad a expliqué avoir eu sa première expérience sexuelle à l'âge de 14 ans, avant de décrire dans les détails ses exploits sexuels ultérieurs. Il a ainsi expliqué comment il utilisait la fonction Bluetooth de son téléphone portable pour tenter d'entrer en contact avec des Saoudiennes disposant également de cette fonction technologique de radio à courte distance et obtenir des rendez-vous galants, dans un pays où la mixité est strictement interdite. Il a aussi fourni des recettes aphrodisiaques.

Son intervention télévisée a suscité une centaine de plaintes auprès des autorités judiciaires, ce qui a conduit à son arrestation, rapporte le journal, indiquant qu'il risque des poursuites pour vice et relations sexuelles avant le mariage. Il encourt une peine de prison ou la flagellation, toujours selon le journal. "L'émission présente des anomalies et des déviances sociales, qui sont inacceptables et immorales et qui doivent être punies selon la charia", la loi islamique, a commenté Ahmad Qasim Al-Ghamdi, directeur du bureau régional à La Mecque de la "Commission de promotion de la vertu et de prévention du vice", la puissante police religieuse du royaume.

En Arabie saoudite, pays ultraconservateur régi par une interprétation puritaine de l'islam, la loi impose une stricte séparation des sexes et interdit les rencontres entre femmes et hommes n'ayant pas de relation familiale. La police religieuse inspecte régulièrement les restaurants et autres lieux fréquentés par la jeunesse. [Source: LePoint.fr] | AFP | Jeudi 23 Juillet 2009

Gay Love: Two Military [Men]

House Prices Slump in the Hamptons as Wall Street's Wealthiest Feel the Pinch
THE TELEGRAPH: Wall Street's wealthiest are feeling the pinch as property sales in their summer beachside playground – the Hamptons – are more than 40pc below last year's levels.

What was once an area in which New York's rich just had to have a home, the Hamptons is fast becoming a place where owning a home can be a poisoned chalice, given the collapse of the local property market.

According to new data from upmarket NY estate agent Prudential Douglas Elliman (PDE), second-quarter house sales in the Hamptons – which is made up of a series of small, affluent towns on the eastern end of Long Island – are 43.3pc below the same quarter last year. The raw data show that 307 homes were sold in the three months to June this year, compared to 541 in the same period last year.

Although the second-quarter figures are an improvement on the 201 homes sold in the first three months of this year, all the other leading indicators point to a worsening market in the area. >>> James Quinn, Wall Street Correspondent | Sunday, July 26, 2009

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Faces Hardline Revolt in Iran
THE TELEGRAPH: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was facing a revolt by furious Iranian hardliners on Monday after he sacked a key conservative minister in an act of revenge.

The Iranian leader found himself at the centre of bitter infighting within the Iranian establishment when he dismissed his intelligence minister after his choice for vice-president was overruled by the country's Supreme Leader.

The backlash intensified when another minister offered his resignation in protest at Mr Ahmadinejad's move at the weekend.

The tit-for-tat exchange between feuding elites threatened his already embattled grasp on power after his disputed election victory in the presidential election last month which provoked street protests and allegations of mass fraud at the ballot box. >>> Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent | Monday, July 27, 2009

Archbishop of Canterbury Foresees 'Two-track' Church to Avoid Gay Schism
THE TELEGRAPH: Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, has admitted the Anglican Communion may divide into a “two-track” church due to deep divisions over the ordination of homosexual clergy.

Dr Williams acknowledged for the first time that believers may have to accept "two styles of being Anglican" in order to avoid schism.

The decision by Episcopal bishops in the US earlier this month to press ahead with the ordination of homosexual priests and bishops – effectively overturning a ban on the practice – has pushed the 80 million-strong global church to the brink of an irrevocable split.

Traditionalists in the US and Canada have already formed a rival province to the Episcopal church to resist against the liberal tide.

Dr Williams appeared to accept that his efforts to preserve the unity of the communion had failed as he sketched a new Anglican structure that would allow local churches to loosen their ties with the main church body.

"This has been called a 'two-tier' model, or, more disparagingly, a first- and second-class structure. But perhaps we are faced rather with the possibility of the two-track model, two ways of witnessing to the Anglican heritage," he wrote.

"It helps to be clear about these possible futures, however much we think them less than ideal, and to speak about them not in apocalyptic terms of schism and excommunication but plainly as what they are – two styles of being Anglican." >>> Matthew Moore | Monday, July 27, 2009

Hizb Ut-Tahrir, The Muslim Brotherhood & The Stealth Jihad

Frank Gaffney: Farewell Britain

Reassessing Our Ties with US
YNET NEWS: Israel should reevaluate policy of heavy dependence on America

Barack Obama's demand that Israel freeze all settlement activity in Judea and Samaria, including east Jerusalem, created a rift between Washington and Jerusalem. Similar rifts existed in the past. Such temporary rifts do not undermine the close relationship between the two countries. They do, however, raise questions about its nature. Given that both countries' interests are not always aligned, Israel should reevaluate its policy of depending so heavily on American support.

Similar issues are being debated in Washington, albeit from a different perspective. In think tanks and op-eds, on college campuses, and even within Obama's administration, many ask whether the current state of affairs best serves the American interest. Some argue that hostility towards the United States among Muslims results, at least partially, from America's support for Israel, and that scaling back aid to Israel will reduce that hostility. Others openly question whether the pro-Israel lobby is a positive factor in shaping American policy. Others still argue that the US must actively and aggressively pursue a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in order to improve its standing in the region. President Obama seems to be a member of the latter group.

In Jerusalem, on the other hand, the debate focuses on issues of less strategic importance. Should Netanyahu accept Obama's demand or reject it? Should Israel insist on natural growth? What about Jerusalem? Is there a creative formula that would please everyone? Such are the questions the media raise. Even those who say Netanyahu should oppose Obama's demand do not suggest a reevaluation of Israel's relationship with the United States.

It is easy to understand why. America's support is one of the most valuable strategic assets Israel has. The US gives it military and economic aid; it provides diplomatic support at the United Nations, often blocking resolutions that would jeopardize Israel’s interests; and it is an important trade partner. Furthermore, Israel shares many common values with the US. Israelis tend to view themselves as Westerners, so it is only natural for them to seek the support of the largest Western power. >>> Yarden Gazit | Sunday, July 26, 2009

America's First Muslim President

Nonie Darwish: Blasphemy & Incitement

Frank Gaffney on Shariah Law
Part 1:


Part 2:


Part 3:


Part 4:

S.U.B.M.I.S.S.I.O.N

Sharia Law

Hat tip: Aeneas >>>

Son of Leading Scientist Dies in Jail as Fears Grow over Fate of Iran's Political Prisoners
THE GUARDIAN: Two inmates die from meningitis in Evin prison / Former detainees speak of harassment and torture

Fears are mounting over the safety of hundreds of political inmates in Iran's most notorious prison following the deaths of two prisoners detained in the recent post-election unrest.

Mohsen Rouholamini and Amir Javadifar died in Tehran's Evin prison after being arrested at a demonstration this month.

Rouholamini, the son of a prominent Iranian scientist close to the country's political elite, died from meningitis after injuries believed to have been inflicted by his jailers went untreated.

The deaths prompted fears of a meningitis outbreak in Evin and other overcrowded detention centres where opposition figures, journalists and students are kept following last month's disputed election. News of the deaths coincided with reports of injuries to other detainees.

One inmate, Isa Saharkhiz, a prominent reformist journalist and commentator, is reported to have suffered broken ribs after being tortured under interrogation.

Campaigners are also concerned for the safety of Kian Tajbakhsh, an American-Iranian scholar said to be under pressure to confess involvement in an alleged western plot to orchestrate the protests following Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election.

Prisoners recently released from Evin have described enduring countless beatings and being herded into tiny cells without air conditioning, where stifling temperatures regularly soar above 40C. >>> Robert Tait and Saeed Kamali Dehghan in Tehran | Sunday, July 26, 2009

Get £500 to Spy on Neighbours
DAILY EXPRESS: SNOOPING residents are being offered rewards of up to £500 to spy on their neighbours.

Taxpayers’ money is being used to pay “covert human intelligence sources” who report bad conduct to authorities.

Anyone who photographs dog fouling, litter being dropped, graffiti crime or fly tipping which result in prosecution will receive a cash reward.

The amount is staggered, according to how far the prosecution is taken.

If a court summons is issued the snooper gets £100. On a conviction he gets £150 and if the offender gets a maximum sentence he receives £500.

The scheme has been given the Big Brother-style motto “See them, report them”.

It tells residents: “We need your eyes and ears to help us wipe out enviro-crime.” The local council scheme is being launched in London and could eventually be rolled out across the country.

Last night the payments were slammed by critics who said they were a waste of vital public funds. >>> Chris Riches | Monday, July 27, 2009

Palin Quits as Alaska Governor, but Stays Quiet on Plans for National Comeback
THE GUARDIAN: Former Republican vice-presidential candidate leaves no hints to next steps as she receives rock star farewell

Sarah Palin begins the next stage of her highly unpredictable political life today having bowed out of her post of governor of Alaska 16 months before the term ends.

The official resignation at a governor's picnic yesterday in Fairbanks leaves Palin relieved of the bureaucratic burdens that had started to weigh her down in recent months. Supporters hope and believe she will use her newfound freedom to vigorously pursue a national profile that will lead to a run on the White House in 2012.

But plain Sarah Palin, devoid of the governor's title, is also left without a formal political power base from which to kickstart any national campaign. She carries with her financial debts, ongoing ethics battles related to her term in office, and the new label of "quitter".

Exactly what she will do with her ample spare time remains one of the hottest political questions in America today. The only known date in her diary is 8 August, when she will make a speech at the Ronald Reagan presidential library in California.

Pundits are equally divided between those who are convinced she is finished, and those who think the Palin spectacle has only just begun. Part of the reason for the polarised response is that Palin is herself a polarising politician, and part because she herself offers so little in the way of explanation. >>> Ed Pilkington in New York | Sunday, July 26, 2009

Gegen Ahmadinedschad: Weltweiter Aktionstag stützt Proteste in Teheran
WELT ONLINE: Begleitet von Kundgebungen in aller Welt haben in Teheran erneut Hunderte Anhänger der iranischen Opposition gegen die Wiederwahl von Präsident Mahmud Ahmadinedschad protestiert. Polizei und Angehörige der regierungstreuen Miliz gingen laut Augenzeugen gewaltsam gegen die Demonstranten vor.

Weltweit demonstrierten Tausende für die Menschenrechte und gegen die Niederschlagung der Proteste im Iran. In Berlin gingen mehrere hundert Menschen auf die Straße, in Frankfurt gab es mehrere Demonstrationszüge.

Oppositionsanhänger in den Teheraner Stadtbezirken Wanak und Mirdamad riefen „Tod dem Diktator“ und „Wir wollen unsere Stimme zurück“. Bei Einbruch der Nacht stiegen zahlreiche Teheraner auf ihre Dächer und riefen offenbar mit Blick auf die internationalen Proteste: „Mutige Nachbarn, danke für eure Unterstützung!“

Bei einer Kundgebung vor hunderten Menschen in Amsterdam rief die iranische Friedensnobelpreisträgerin Schirin Ebadi die internationale Gemeinschaft auf, das Wahlergebnis nicht anzuerkennen. Sie forderte eine neue Abstimmung unter Aufsicht der Vereinten Nationen.

In London versammelten sich rund 600 Demonstranten vor der iranischen Botschaft. In Brüssel führten Protestierende Plakate mit Fotos von Inhaftierten oder Getöteten mit sich, darunter von Neda Agha Soltan, die nach ihrem Tod zu einem Symbol der Protestbewegung wurde.

In Paris gingen ebenfalls hunderte Menschen auf die Straße. Auch vor dem UN-Sitz in Genf und in Rom wurde demonstriert, außerdem in zahlreichen weiteren Städten von Tokio über Stockholm bis Washington und Sao Paulo. „Den Leuten droht Folter, und ihr Leben ist in Gefahr“, sagte Lenka Petronova, die Organisatorin eines Protestmarsches in Prag. >>> AP/ro | Sonntag, 26. Juli 2009

Blue: Best In Me

YOU TUBE: Blue: No Goodbyes

Sarkozy victime d'un malaise
leJDD.fr: Nicolas Sarkozy a été victime d'un malaise dimanche. C'est l'Elysée qui l'a annoncé, précisant que le président de la République était en train de faire du sport. Le chef de l'Etat "a été immédiatement pris en charge par son médecin. Il subit actuellement des examens complémentaires", et a été évacué à l'hôpital du Val-de-Grâce. L'Elysée précise que le président "va bien".

C'est par un communiqué laconique que l'Elysée a diffusé l'information. Nicolas Sarkozy a été victime d'un malaise dimanche, "alors qu'il faisait du sport. (...) Il a été immédiatement pris en charge par son médecin. Il subit actuellement des examens complémentaires", précise le texte. La présidence de la République a diffusé un nouveau communiqué en fin d'après-midi. "Aujourd'hui en fin de matinée, alors qu'il effectuait un jogging dans le parc du Château de Versailles, le Président de la République a été pris d'un malaise. Ce malaise, qui est survenu après 45 minutes d'exercice physique intense, ne s'est pas accompagné d'une perte de connaissance. Il a conduit le Président à interrompre son effort et à s'allonger avec l'aide d'un proche."

"Le Président a été transporté en hélicoptère à l'hôpital militaire du Val-de-Grâce où des examens de contrôle sont réalisés depuis 13h45. L'examen clinique et les examens complémentaires à visée neurologique sont normaux (bilan sanguin, électroencéphalogramme, IRM). La surveillance cardiologique, systématiquement pratiquée dans de telles circonstances, se poursuit jusqu'à demain matin", poursuit le communiqué. Devant l'établissment, situé boulevard du Port-Royal, dans le Ve arrondissement, le trottoir a été fermé à la circulation. Des agents de la sécurité de l'Elysée filtrent l'entrée de l'hôpital sous le regard de nombreux policiers et journalistes. >>> Par R.D (avec Reuters), leJDD.fr | Dimanche 26 Juillet 2009

MPs Urge Ministers to Open Middle East Peace Talks with Hamas Moderates
THE GUARDIAN: Commons foreign affairs committee says policy of non-engagement is achieving little

The government is facing fresh calls today from MPs to open contacts with the militant Palestinian Hamas movement in an attempt to inject new momentum into the Middle East peace process.

The Commons foreign affairs committee said the current policy of non-engagement with Hamas - which controls the Gaza strip - appeared to be achieving little.

It reiterated its call of two years ago for the government to "urgently" consider ways of engaging politically with "moderate elements" within the group.

The government refuses to talk to Hamas until it accepts the principles of the international Quartet - the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and Russia - of non-violence and acceptance of the existence of the state of Israel. >>> Press Association | Sunday, July 26 2009

No Alcohol, Please. I’m Muslim!
MAIL ON SUNDAY: Some Muslims have refused to use alcohol-based hand gels to combat the spread of swine flu because they claim it is against their religion.

Some of those employed by St Albans Council in Hertfordshire have complained about the antibacterial lotion, which is considered a key strategy in containing the virus.

Officials were concerned because the Koran bans Muslims from consuming alcohol, so council chiefs issued them with non-alcohol hand gels, which studies have shown to be less effective in killing bugs. Muslims refuse to use alcohol-based hand gels over religious beliefs >>> Mail On Sunday Reporter | Saturday, July 25, 2009

Even Infidels Are Turning to Sharia Law
THE SUNDAY TIMES: As more and more non-Muslim Britons seek Islamic justice, Edna Fernandes asks how it will change our society

Dressed in immaculate white kurta pyjamas and with fingers interlaced, Sheikh Faiz Siddiqui leant back in his white leather chair as he listened.

Before him were two warring businessmen: a Muslim of Asian origins and his white non-Muslim partner, who had come to seek judgment on a dispute. This proved to be a run-of-the-mill squabble over whether the non-Muslim had been cheated out of the profits of their jointly owned car-fleet company by the Muslim.

What made the case out of the ordinary is that it was the the non-Muslim who had chosen to take his grievance to a religious tribunal run by imams according to the laws of sharia — an ancient Islamic code of conduct that dates back to the time of the prophet Muhammad in the 7th century.

As the story of the business unfolded, the sheikh — one of two judges presiding that day — began to suspect the Muslim businessman was not being entirely honest in his evidence. So what happened next, I asked, when I met Siddiqui at his opulent offices in Warwickshire.

“I reminded him of his vows to God,” he said. “I told him, ‘You can lie and you can cheat this other man. But realise this: one day, you will face the Day of Judgment and on that day you will face Allah himself and be punished’.”

The sheikh’s words apparently had a profound effect. The Muslim businessman promptly changed his story, admitting he had cheated, and his non-Muslim partner was awarded £48,000 in compensation by the two Muslim judges.

“Sharia,” the 41-year-old sheikh explained to me, “is the law of Allah. So, yes, I invoke God in a legal setting. It creates a moral compulsion to tell the truth.”

This case was just one of several hundred that have been ruled on by the Muslim Arbitration Tribunal (Mat) since it was set up two years ago to operate as a civil sharia court. Since its formation, 5% of the cases have involved a non-Muslim.

Siddiqui is a Pakistani-born barrister and the founder and chairman of Mat’s governing council. He organises the funding of the service and costs are recouped through charges to those who use it — ranging from £150 to £2,500, depending on the nature of the case and its duration. Each hearing has two judges: one a mufti who is a learned imam with training in Islamic law; the other a Muslim lawyer or judge trained in UK law. None of the 67 judges is paid a fee. And, according to the sheikh, none of the money needed to run the tribunals comes from abroad.

His judges are not the only ones dispensing justice in British sharia courts: a recent report by Civitas, the think tank, estimated that there are about 85 sharia tribunals — including many that deal with divorce — operating in the UK. Some of these are less formal affairs in which individual imams make rulings in their mosques.

All of them are increasingly busy as more and more people bypass the traditional courts to seek religious rulings that are just as binding under British law. >>> Edna Fernandes* | Sunday, July 26, 2009

*Edna Fernandes is the author of Holy Warriors, published by Portobello Books. www.ednafernandes.com

Letter to The Times: Sharia Contradicts Islam’s Sacred Text
TIMES ONLINE: We must combat the crusade to legitimise Sharia law within the UK

Sir, Most thinking British Muslims vehemently reject this new “shariafication” fad in Britain (“Hardline Islamic penal sanctions”, letters, July 22). The claim that many non-Muslims are seeking redress in Sharia courts needs to be verified by an independent audit, not by some self-serving Muslim organisation that is itself a principal instigator of this unfortunate trend in British Islam (reports, July 21).

This co-ordinated campaign by pro-Saudi traditionalists to enforce medieval Muslim jurisprudence by stealth and by increments has to be resisted. The pretext of promoting a benign and benevolent juristic code is far from the truth. In reality, this corrosive Wahhabi and Salafi drive to (initially) implement selective aspects of an anachronistic legal system is nothing but the thin edge of the wedge, a Trojan horse for the later adoption and/or grafting of Islamic law on to British jurisprudence.

The Sharia as practised in the Muslim world today is notoriously inconsistent and anachronistic. Nowhere is there any uniformity about these medieval juristic rulings. But most damning is that Sharia often flagrantly violates the transcendent Koran, particularly when it relates to women’s rights, criminal punishments, interfaith relations, violence, ideological tolerance and religious freedom. Even under the guise of establishing personal and family law for Muslims in the UK, the British-based Sharia propagandists cannot explain away the inherent inequity that Muslim women face under these archaic masculine-promulgated edicts in terms of marriage, divorce, child custody, inheritance rights and female attire. While the Koran encourages a gender equal society, the Saudi and Pakistani-influenced mullahs in this country unashamedly defend the tribal sexism of 7th-century Arabia.

Under this antiquated legal system, men have untrammelled rights to instant divorce and are entitled to the virtual automatic custody of their offspring, but there are no similar prerogatives for women. This is just one of innumerable cases where the exclusively male-written Sharia not only blatantly contradicts Islam’s sacred text but also is opposed to the concepts of natural justice that are so intrinsic to British law.

On these grounds alone, every effort must be made, by Muslims as well as other right-minded people, to combat this current crusade to legitimise this outmoded and anti-Koranic cultural-legal system within the UK. Since British Muslims are fully protected under UK law and free to practise the fundamentals of their faith, there is no valid reason why they should support this noxious “shariafication” of the UK.

Dr T. Hargey

Chairman, Muslim Educational Centre of Oxford [Source: Times Online] | Friday, July 24, 2009

Sarkozy Told to Prune Cost of Carla’s Flowers
THE SUNDAY TIMES: PRESIDENT Nicolas Sarkozy has been told to trim his flower bill after the first inspection of a French ruler’s expenses revealed that his palace spent £600 a day on bouquets.

Sarkozy ordered the opening of the Elysée Palace accounts as part of the “transparency” he advocates in government. It may have backfired on him by revealing a colossal waste of public money at a time when others are tightening their belts.

The exorbitant florist’s bill can be attributed to Carla Bruni, the president’s wife, a folk singer and former top model who has a passion for freshly cut flowers. Bernadette Chirac, her predecessor, had a similar obsession – particularly for roses – but saved money by growing them in the palace grounds.

Philippe Séguin, the state auditor, recommended cutting food costs as well as the floral bill: the palace always went to the same suppliers, he complained, even if it meant paying twice as much – £170,000 a year at the butcher, £217,000 at the greengrocer and just over £100,000 in cheese shops. >>> Matthew Campbell | Sunday, July 26, 2009

Barack Obama's Health Reform Plans Are a Bitter Pill for His Personal Doctor
THE TELEGRAPH: President Barack Obama's personal doctor for more than two decades is bitterly disappointed by the health care reforms being pushed through Congress at the urging of his former patient.

Dr David Scheiner remains a big fan of the man he treated for 22 years in Chicago. But does not believe the planned overhaul goes far enough to help the poor and uninsured, and will cost too much because of pressure from the health care industry.

The 71-year-old physician, who has treated low income patients for his entire career in the city's Hyde Park neighbourhood, believes Mr Obama favours an NHS-style "single payer" system, but backed away under pressure from the health industry.

"He's a pragmatist, he wants to get something done" Dr Scheiner told The Sunday Telegraph. "But this time he should have pushed back hard against the health care lobby."

He is bitterly disappointed in the way the reforms are being organised and says he was bounced from the invitation list to a White House event because of pressure from the health lobby.

"I was all set to go to an event, I got an email from the White House the Sunday before and then suddenly I was told 'there were too many people' coming," he said. "I think they knew I was going to ask an awkward question about the single payer option."

He contends that the reforms winding their way though Congress "could bankrupt us because there are no real cost controls and the big beneficiaries will be private hospitals and insurance companies". >>> Leonard Doyle in Washington | Saturday, July 25, 2009

Anglican Church Has Lost the Plot
THE TELEGRAPH: Churches should try harder to make bald and overweight people feel welcome, according to new guidance that is being issued to clergy.

A Church of England book published this week says they should be regarded as worshippers with "special needs" alongside the blind, the deaf, breast-feeding mothers, very short people and readers of tabloid newspapers.

The advice is part of an initiative launched this week to make churches more friendly and less intimidating to newcomers in an attempt to increase attendance at services.

Among those considered to warrant particular attention are people who are blind, deaf or in wheelchairs.

However, it also warns that bald people could be "in trouble from those overhead radiant heaters some churches have unwittingly installed" and that special arrangements may need to be made for people who are overweight.

"Some pew spaces and chairs are embarrassingly inadequate for what is known in church circles as 'the wider community'," the book says.

Consideration should be given to recovering alcoholics who want to receive communion wine, it suggests, and for those who "find loud noises from organs or music groups distressing".

The book, called Everybody Welcome, claims that only one in ten church visitors return because existing worshippers tend to be so unwelcoming.

It urges churches to become more professional in their attitude to attracting newcomers and suggests they follow the example of department stores in appointing customer-care managers. Church tells worshippers to give special treatment to overweight or bald people >>> Jonathan Wynne-Jones, Religious Affairs Correspondent | Saturday, July 25, 2009

Saturday Night Entertainment – Phil Collins: Another Day in Paradise

Saturday Night Entertainment – Celine Dion: My Heart Will Go On

Obama’s Beer Fails to Cool Fiery Race Row
THE SUNDAY TIMES: The president’s reaction to the arrest of a black scholar has dented his reputation and distracted Obama during a tough week

THEY are calling it bar-stool diplomacy – a novel attempt by President Barack Obama to cool a heated racial controversy by inviting the offended parties to settle their differences over a beer at the White House.

Yet the president’s efforts to limit the fallout from a row over the arrest last week of Henry Louis Gates Jr, a black Harvard professor, may serve to extend a furore that has shaken the White House and raised questions about Obama’s vaunted leadership skills.

The row showed no sign of diminishing yesterday as Massachusetts media pressed for the release of police tapes that could shed new light on the angry exchanges between Gates and Sergeant James Crowley, a white officer who arrived at the professor’s Cambridge home to investigate a report of a break-in.

The incident led to a rare breakdown of Obama’s previously impressive political judgment. Having spent much of the past two years steering clear of racial controversy and nurturing an image of so-called “postracial” conciliation, the president plunged unexpectedly into the Gates affair.

He declared on Wednesday, when it was still far from clear what had happened, that the Massachusetts police had “acted stupidly” by arresting Gates, whom Obama described as a personal friend.

By Friday evening, Obama was back-pedalling furiously and his invitation to Gates and Crowley to join him for a beer was interpreted as an acknowledgment by the president that he had spoken too hastily in “maligning” the police. “I could have calibrated those words differently,” he said. >>> Tony Allen-Mills in Washington | Sunday, July 26, 2009

Michael Jackson: Man in the Mirror

'Girl Taxi' Service Offers Haven to Beirut's Women

UAE - Dubai: The Desert Kingdom
Watch Journeyman Pictures video here

Support for Officer in Gates Case
Watch MSNBC video here

Israel Uses Hitler Picture to Sell Its Settlement Expansion
THE INDEPENDENT: Foreign minister orders diplomats to circulate photo ahead of discussions with President Obama's envoy

Avigdor Lieberman, Israel's foreign minister, has triggered fresh controversy by urging diplomats abroad to use a 1941 photograph of a Palestinian religious leader meeting Hitler to counter protests against a planned Jewish settlement in Arab East Jerusalem.

The hard right Mr Lieberman ordered the circulation to Israeli embassies of copies of the notorious wartime photograph of Hitler meeting the then Mufti of Jerusalem, an overt sympathiser with the Nazis who helped them raise an SS division in Bosnia. The move has alarmed some experienced Israeli diplomats who believe it will be counterproductive. It came after the US State Department expressed its disapproval to Michael Oren, the Israeli ambassador in Washington, over plans to build at least 20 apartments for Jewish settlers at the site of the old Shepherd's Hotel building in the inner East Jerusalem district of Sheikh Jarrah.

The building was once used as a headquarters of the Mufti, a member of the one of the most prominent Palestinian families in Jerusalem. The Palestinian nationalist Faisal al-Husseini, grand nephew of the Mufti, was a frequent interlocutor and strong advocate of peace moves with Israel in his later years until his death in 2001.

The plans for the Shepherd's Hotel site have highlighted a continuing rift between much of the international community and Israel over the latter's continued settlement building in East Jerusalem. The site was bought in the 1980s by a company controlled by Irving Moskowitz, a major benefactor of of right wing settler groups.

While the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is deep in negotiations with US officials over the settlement freeze in the West Bank being demanded by President Obama, he made it clear this week he will not be deterred from sanctioning continued building for Jews in East Jerusalem. Israel's sovereignty over the whole of the city "cannot be challenged", he said. >>> Donald Macintyre in Jerusalem | Saturday, July 25, 2009

Grand Mufti Amin Al Husseini of Jerusalem

Hitler, der Großmufti und Islamo-Nazismus

Hitler and the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem

'Record Rise' in UK Anti-Semitism
BBC: Anti-Semitic attacks in the UK doubled in the first half of this year compared with the same period in 2008, according to new figures.

The Jewish Community Security Trust, which monitors anti-Semitism, says it recorded 609 incidents between January and June - up from 276 last year.

Most incidents were abusive behaviour, but there were also 77 violent acts.

The trust said the rise had been driven by anger over Israel's military campaign against Hamas in Gaza.

That conflict, between December 2008 and January 2009, was followed by an almost immediate rise in anti-Semitic incidents in the UK.

According to the CST, the total number of incidents for the first six months of this year was worse than the previous record of 598 incidents for the whole of 2006.

Some 286 incidents occurred in January alone - but the security body said that a disproportionately higher monthly number of attacks and abuse continued into the spring.

The attacks recorded so far include 77 acts of physical violence and two life-threatening assaults, one of which was an attempt to run somebody over with a car. >>> Dominic Casciani | Thursday, July 23, 2009